Fair & Impartial Policing Policy (FIPP) for the Town of Thetford, VT
Welcome to the campaign to pass a stronger policing policy for the town of Thetford. Here you will find resources and information about FIPP and why this is important for our community.
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What is FIPP?
Vermont’s original Fair and Impartial Policing (FIPP) was a product of the hard work of Migrant Justice’s “No Más Polimigra” movement to stop the collusion between local police departments and deportation officials. Its purpose is to uphold the principle of equal treatment under the law by protecting all Vermonters from biased policing based on personal characteristics (like race, gender, sexual orientation, or immigration status) and limiting local police from engaging in immigration enforcement.
This current statewide model policy, however, was weakened in 2017 when a group of law enforcement officials voted to change the language opening several loopholes that allow for collaboration between police and ICE deportation agents.
It’s important to bear in mind that the police have an inherently different role than ICE (Immigration Control & Enforcement).
The function of ICE is to enforce immigration law, which is civil, not criminal, law. Across the state of VT, ICE agents are becoming more involved in drug law enforcement, which is the province of state and town police.
In 2019, Governor Scott signed H.518 which allows towns to write stronger policies locally with the Vermont attorney general’s support. We believe that policing in Thetford should align with the values of our town which include closing dangerous loopholes for biased policing.
Why is FIPP Necessary for Thetford?
“I don’t see these issues happening in Thetford, why do we need to pass this?”
The current Fair & Impartial Policing Policy used across the state of VT does not do enough to ensure the safety and well-being of all Vermonters. In the spirit of fellowship for our friends and neighbors, the Thetford community wants to formalize these protections through policies like FIPP.
If actions of the Thetford police already align with the guidelines of this stronger FIPP, then adopting it formally will cause no inconvenience to how they do their job.
What are the current loopholes in Vermont’s Statewide FIPP?
- It allows the sharing of confidential information with immigration agents, so long as it’s justified on grounds of “public safety” or “law enforcement needs”
- It evades prohibitions on asking about immigration status by allowing officers to rely on the pretext that the person is suspected of having recently crossed the border
- It allows for the reporting of immigration status of victims and witnesses of crimes to deportation agents
- It grants deportation agents access to individuals in police custody, effectively turning local police stations into temporary holding cells for ICE and Border Patrol
What other towns have already implemented stronger FIPPs?
Several towns across Vermont and New Hampshire have already passed stronger FIP policies. The Thetford FIPP coalition is modeling our own policy after these stronger versions. These towns include:
- Norwich, VT
- Lebanon, NH
- Winooski, VT
- Hartford, VT
- Burlington, VT
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Thetford FIPP 