Simi Valley Police Chief Says No to ICE Cooperation

The top cop in Simi Valley is making it very clear where his department stands on immigration. Chief Steve Shorts gave a presentation on December 15 to reassure everyone that his officers are not in the business of federal immigration enforcement. This comes after months of intense questions and nervous residents wondering if their local police were helping agents with raids.

⚖️ Safety for Everyone Regardless of Status

Chief Shorts told the City Council that the Simi Valley Police Department is fully committed to protecting every single person in the community. He stressed that it does not matter what someone’s immigration status is when it comes to getting help from his team. The chief believes this is the only way to keep the town safe because people need to feel comfortable calling 911 or reporting crimes as witnesses without worrying about being deported.

During his talk he explained that a state law called Senate Bill 54 or the California Values Act is what guides them. This law basically stops local and state police from using their own money or people to help federal immigration groups. The chief says his department follows this law to the letter. This means they do not make arrests based on immigration holds and they do not use ICE agents as translators.

🔍 Strict Rules for Record Sharing

The chief also cleared up some rumors about how the department handles data. He said his officers are strictly prohibited from sharing records like arrest info or license plate data with federal agencies. Many residents were worried about a system called Flock Safety which reads license plates. Shorts confirmed that this system does not sell data to third parties and is not being used to help ICE track people down.

While ICE does notify Simi Valley police before they do any work in the city local officers usually stay away. They only show up if a watch commander thinks there is an urgent threat to law enforcement safety. Even if they do show up they are forbidden from searching the scene or towing cars for the federal agents.

🗣️ Residents Want Even More Action

Even though the presentation was meant to calm things down many people who spoke at the meeting think the city is still not doing enough. The vibe was much calmer than a previous meeting where the Mayor had to clear the room but the message was still very strong. Activists like Carla Castillo called the federal operations a form of ethnic cleansing and told the leaders they need to choose which side of history they want to be on.

Residents are asking the city to go further by creating an immigration oversight committee and setting up a legal defense fund. They also want the city to enforce an upcoming ban on ICE agents wearing masks. For now the City Council has not taken any official action on these requests but the chief’s promise to keep his officers out of federal raids is a major statement for the city of Simi Valley.