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Resident urges clearer public-safety reporting protocols after Walmart encounter
Summary
A resident recounted an incident at a North Academy Walmart involving a group he said were Venezuelan nationals and called for clearer guidance on whether to contact ICE or local law enforcement when encountering undocumented people.
During the public-comment period, Brett Dayberry described a September encounter at a Walmart on North Academy in which he said about a dozen people he identified as Venezuelan were gathered in the store’s pickup area. Dayberry said he told store security to remove the group, called 911 after security engaged, and that responding police did not question the group while he was later given a mandatory summons for trespassing.
Dayberry told commissioners he was unsure whether to report similar incidents to ICE or to the local sheriff’s office and said he welcomed recent public statements that the sheriff would work with ICE. He urged county and city leaders to develop clear public-safety strategies and make them known to the community.
Why it matters: Dayberry’s remarks reflected public concerns about undocumented immigration and enforcement practices; they were made during the meeting’s public-comment period and did not result in any formal action by the board. He provided an ICE tip line ((866) 347-2423) that he said he learned about and expressed that he no longer felt safe in the city based on the incident.
No county official provided a substantive response on the record during the public-comment period in the transcript provided.
