Valley attorney questions SB 1070 training

While the state and nation await the justices’ ruling on SB 1070, police agencies around Arizona are being asked to brush up on the law.

Gov. Jan Brewer issued an executive order for the Arizona Peace Officers Standard and Training Post to redistribute a 90-minute DVD on the enforcement of SB 1070. The training tool was originally distributed when the bill was signed into law.

“I’d like to see that training,” said Adrian Fontes, a criminal immigration attorney. “I’d like to see how it is they can figure out a way to show by looking at someone and listening to someone that that person is here legally or not.”

Fontes maintained that SB 1070 offers police officers broad discretion and under the controversial law, civil rights will be violated.

“Based on the performance of a lot law enforcement, not all of them, there are some great cops out there,” said Fontes.

“I’ve worked with them and against them. But there are some law enforcement officers out there who will abuse their power, it’s human nature sometimes.”