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ICE, BPD have closer ties than you might think

WBUR reports.

Update: The BPD sergeant who was coordinating with ICE has been removed from his position, WBUR reports.

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UPDATE: After this story was published, Boston city and police officials said on Friday Sgt. Det. Gallagher was removed from his role as the force's "Task Force Officer."

While nothing surprises me, it's truly a sad day when a a far-left public radio outlet can cause the removal of a dedicated Boston police sergeant assigned to work with immigration officials for the misconduct of...working with immigration officials.

As stated here many times, a police officer never ceases to be a citizen. The BPPA should immediately send BPPA members an electronic contact card with the phone numbers of trusted ICE agents in the Boston area who can respond quickly to tips from citizens, including police officers. Walsh telling police to ignore illegal immigration activity would be an unlawful order and force Walsh (the appointing authority for BPD) to testify in open court that he has ordered BPD to not cooperate with ICE. Millions have been spent on "see something, say something." There was no footnote in that PSA campaign that said except if you're Boston police. Obviously that would be as absurd as WBUR's complaint. Has Elizabeth Warren been asked yet if she stands with Sergeant Gallagher or with the illegals? Great soundbites ahead. I doubt this will play well in the pivotal swing states.

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If he's willing to play by his own rules how do you know he isn't tampering with evidence too? If he wants to be a "private citizen" he's welcome to resign.

That's why this and the OT crap is a big deal. Once you've proven yourself to be untrustworthy you can't go back.

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If the police unions wanted to further humiliate Walsh, the union leadership, who enjoy all kinds of labor-management protections under federal law, would go on a ride-along today assisting ICE and calling Walsh's bluff. More likely, the union has told Walsh behind the scenes that they will hold off on embarrassing him if the next raise is bumped significantly. Hush money in a sense. Some of the old reasons for police wanting to come to work, peer recognition and personal pride go out the window when officers are ordered to look the other way or be transferred. Sadly, at this point, officers have been beaten down so much that a pay raise provides the only comfort and saves Walsh's political capital with the left.

A similar, politically motivated punishment was doled out to Trooper William Johnson who refused to look the other way on Whitey Bulger and was quickly transferred. He soon committed suicide. Hopefully Sergeant Gallagher and the superior officers union have a better support system in place.

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You pretty much just summed up why people don't trust police, BTW.

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They need to start acting like it.

The police are not independent of the rest of the government. They are under civilian authority.

It sounds like a fair number need to be brought to heel.

Or be fired.

They are not an independent street gang or military overlord. Enough is enough.

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It's a tragedy when a cop ignores orders and cooperates with federal law enforcement.

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Cooperation with federal agencies that are really paramilitary and not law enforcement is voluntary - except when it is prohibited by their civilian oversight.

Which it is.

This is the difference between helping your neighbor rake leaves when asked and being told not to interact your creepy rapey neighbor by your parents.

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Referring to WBUR, a deeply centrist news organization, as "far-left" is enough reason to stop reading your uninformed trolling.

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I get that the average citizen doesn't really think of liberalism as right-wing ideology, but WBUR is about as centrist as it comes even if your left goalpost is "progressive" neoliberalism. Believe me, I wish there was any representation for Marxist-Leninist ideology.

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When that MA judge sent the illegal out the backdoor while Immigration law enforcement cooled were distracted and cooled their heels in a different part of the building... That was a Profile in Courage!

But a cop helping ICE despite the legally questionable direction of the Mayor and his lickspittles? Gestapo Tactics!

Okay good we got that straight.

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And so we come to Donald Trump.

No one had any problems with ICE until our President decided to turn them into is own private Brown Shirts. Using Brown Shirts to further your political agenda predates Gestapo tactics but they were the progenitor. Trump has told these people he will pardon them if they follow his orders while disobeying the law as written. Talk about legally questionable,,,

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Some of us had a problem with ICE long before Trump ordered them to start tearing families apart and abusing children. We have a much bigger problem with them now that they're honest-to-god brownshirts, of course, but anyone with an ounce of sense could see this coming the moment Dubya organized DHS as its own department of federal government.

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I know it sounds incredible, but it turns out something can be good or bad depending on the circumstances surrounding it! Who woulda thunk it?

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