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Resident urges Dayton council to pursue oversight after alleged ICE-police encounters
Summary
At open forum, resident Lissa Sennis described multiple disturbing interactions between ICE and local enforcement—stops of school drivers, late-night operations and alleged harassment—and urged the council to adopt transparency, oversight and review mechanisms to restore community trust.
Lissa Sennis told the Dayton City Council during open forum that her long-standing support for law enforcement is "wavering" because of what she described as repeated, troubling interactions between immigration enforcement and local officers. Sennis recounted multiple incidents—she said officers stopped a bus driver because of the driver’s skin color, asked students about their country of birth, and conducted late-night operations—adding that community members are afraid to come forward.
"When those actions intersect with local law enforcement, my intention tonight is not to attack police officers ... It is to name what is happening because ignoring it makes the divide worse," Sennis said. She called for "honest acknowledgement, clear policies, defining roles of the local law enforcement in relation to ICE, and real mechanisms for review when boundaries are crossed."
Councilmembers responded by thanking Sennis and asking staff to follow up; staff said open-forum items may be pursued when callers provide sufficient detail but that formal complaints are often required for investigations. In response to a separate question from resident Keith Grover about whether open-forum items receive staff attention, a staff speaker (John) said follow-up depends on whether the comment supplies specific facts or locations; some items can be investigated from open forum but many require a formal complaint.
Why it matters: Sennis framed the issue as a public-safety and trust problem: she said fear of enforcement can deter people from calling police or cooperating with investigations, which harms community safety. She urged the council to move beyond words to policies and oversight that residents can see.
What’s next: Councilmembers acknowledged the concerns and indicated staff follow-up is appropriate. The meeting did not include a formal action or policy vote on the topic; council direction was to consider follow-up and possible staff investigation or future agenda placement.
