Amid ICE Raids, Officials Note 3 Ways To Identify A Norristown Police Officer

NORRISTOWN, PA — Police in Norristown are issuing warnings to the public to familiarize themselves with how to identify a municipal police officer. It comes with the increased presence of federal immigration officers, often in plainclothes, in communities like Norristown with a large immigrant population.

"Three things to look for," the police department shared in their recent announcement. "The department’s patch on the upper arms of the uniform. A tactical vest saying NORRISTOWN POLICE. And a municipal-issued ID card with name (and) badge number."

Raids have continued throughout Norristown and nearby West Norriton, Lower Providence, and elsewhere. A major raid at the Super Gigante on Main Street over the summer was highly publicized and condemned by Democrats as "militarized" and designed to invoke terror.

When President Trump's administration's raids began at the beginning of the year, Norristown said they would provide only the bare minimum support to ICE as required by law.

Norristown is actually not a sanctuary city, which refers to municipalities whose laws expressly protect undocumented individuals from deportation or prosecution. However, the municipality does not collect information on the legal status of residents.

"We want you to see and know our officers as they work in the community," police added.

In addition to police, all branches of municipal government have been instructed to follow the same course of limited interaction with ICE.

Montgomery County, meanwhile, has specifically been labeled a "sanctuary" community by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The county is one of more than 500 counties and cities and even a few states which federal officials say have refused to comply with federal law. Montgomery County and many others, however, have long maintained their right to protect immigrants, and have accused the Trump administration's policies of violating civil rights guaranteed by the Constitution.