Postville Police Evaluate City's Security After Raid

Shown is the Agriprocessors kosher meatpacking plant, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2008, in Postville, Iowa. Agriprocessors is the world's largest kosher meatpacking plant and Postville's biggest employer. A May 12, 2008 raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at Agriprocessors, the world's largest kosher meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa, was the largest immigration raid in U.S. history. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

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Postville Police Evaluate City's Security After Raid

By Josh Hinkle, Anchor/Reporter

By Josh Hinkle

POSTVILLE - The day of the raid at Postville's largest employer, a siren sounded, signaling a fire somewhere in town. Police Chief Michael Halse stood in this same intersection directing traffic for the fire department. That's when he first saw ICE agents and their trucks roll through to the plant.

He says, "It was disheartening, because there were families we felt trying to make a living."

A few decades back, Halse moved here from an even smaller town for a bigger challenge. But the last few months have almost been overwhelming.

"Agriprocessors is trying to get new workers in to try to start filling the shifts, so things really started to change pretty fast."

When federal agents arrested 400 of the plant's workers, others soon filled the void. And it's not that they are just replacement workers. A lot of them are also temporary. I spoke to one man who told me he's leaving after just ten days. That kind of turnaround makes it even more difficult for police.

"We don't know their backgrounds. We don't know where they come from and it's all a learning process all over again."

Halse says crime has gone up slightly, and now he is trying to hire another officer to help out. Once called the "Hometown to the World," he hopes things in Postville will start to go back to normal. But he believes that could still be years away.
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Friday, Oct 31 at 9:36 PM who are you wrote ...

I would like to know who are any of you to judge who people are and what they do? You need to clean out your own closet, you don't even know half of what they had to go threw to be here and the fear that lived in thier hearts for there faimlies in 3rd world contries.They were working for the same thing that you work for every day a better life for your faimly.

Monday, Sep 8 at 10:51 AM Iowa Worker wrote ...

Seems to me Law enforcement could be charged with aiding and abedding a know criminal activity. They knew it was going on they looked the other way now they want us to listen to them whine and moan. No They and the corp. Execs all need to be still in a jail cell. Time for the Sheriff to spend a little time in his own facility. You broke the law just like everyone else sheriff. Your all traders to your COUNTRY!!! Treason nothing less

Monday, Sep 8 at 7:32 AM Glenn Smith wrote ...

All I hear is woe and pitty for those affected. Does it not matter that: 1: they were in the USA ILLEGALLY; and 2; they were using STOLEN IDENTITY PAPERS. If you feel sorry for them give them YOUR SS#, address and drivers license to use. Otherwise, view them for what they are ILLEGALS - BREAKING THE LAW. Go to Mexico, break the law and see how Americans are treated there.

Monday, Sep 8 at 12:41 AM Anonymous wrote ...

jews hate muslims muslims hate jews. does anyone see anything wrong about somalis working there?

Sunday, Sep 7 at 10:20 PM Postville Fire Chief wrote ...

In regards to this article the facts are not correct as usual. The fire call was clear on the other side of town and the police chief was busy with the raid until called upon by us. I am also an EMT, and we had several ambulance calls to Agri prior to the Fire call, which happened hours later. Sure glad it wasn't the tornado siren. It may have been published as a hurrican! If there are warrents issued for citizens, whether American, Hispanic, Russian, etc. they carry them out.

Sunday, Sep 7 at 9:09 PM back to normal? wrote ...

you mean you hope the illegal aliens think just because the government just raided your town, they won't be back? i got news for ya buddy, you know what kind of people you have in your comunity, therefore, you knew you had a mess of illegal aliens living there! don't tell me you NEVER arrested any of them for public intox, dui or anything else! you been there 10 years, and knew the whole time!! you should be stripped of the sheriffs joob, and jailed for harboring illegal; aliens! u r a true pig

Sunday, Sep 7 at 7:35 PM what? wrote ...

did you even think for one minute these cheap bast&*^%& would hire american replacements? time for true americans to run these compnies and their management out of the country! THAT'S IT YOU FRIGGING ILLEGAL ALIEN HIRING MOTHERS! YOU LOSE IT ALL, THE COMPANY, MACHINERY, AND YOUR BANK ACCOUNTS!! GET OUT AND STAY OUT!!

Sunday, Sep 7 at 3:05 PM Anonymous wrote ...

Now that the illegal immigrants can't work they are stealing, one at a time i hope the cops pick them up and ship them out. Those poor hard workers who had their SSN #'s stolen are the hardest hit, not just this town.

Sunday, Sep 7 at 1:30 PM over taxed wrote ...

Boo Hoo. They were law breakers and the local law enforcement was not doing their job before the raid. With that many warrants issued, how could the police not know they had a problem? No, I do not feel sorry for this town that knew it was harboring criminals. Suck it up, the party's over, it's time to live with in the boundary of the law.

Sunday, Sep 7 at 1:23 PM Up_In_Arms wrote ...

See right there in the article states that the Police Force knew what was going on there and turned there heads the other way for the sake "Of The Town". That is SO WRONG!!!! All of those public officials that knew of that situation need to be arrested for aiding and abetting known Illegial's. From the mayor and other city officials right on down to the whole police dept. This is a shame, that everyone turned their heads for the sake of a dollar..

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