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Atwater swears in new police chief; residents press for clarity on immigration cooperation
Summary
Richard McKin was ceremonially sworn in as Atwater's new police chief and told the council he does not intend to make sweeping changes. Several public commenters pressed the chief and city leaders to clarify recent newspaper quotes about cooperation with immigration enforcement and referenced Senate Bill 54.
Richard McKin was sworn in as Atwater's new chief of police on the council dais, taking a ceremonial oath administered by City Clerk Corey Billings. After the oath, McKin told the council and audience that his first month "has been really exciting" and that he "has no intention of coming in and making sweeping changes," adding he intends to follow existing department policies, including those tied to Senate Bill 54.
Members of the public raised alarm after a recent newspaper account they said attributed broader noncooperation with immigration enforcement to the new chief. During the public-comment period, several speakers questioned whether the statement signaled that Atwater had become a "sanctuary city." One commenter said the reported remark made them "extremely disturbed," asking whether the department would decline to assist other agencies in pursuits or serious criminal investigations.
The issue drew multiple speakers during public comment. A resident who asked for a newspaper retraction said: "I'm not comfortable about our police chief stating that he's not going to cooperate with the other officers when it has nothing to do with 54." Another attendee read the chief's remarks directly into the record, saying McKin had told them: "in my 20-plus years in law enforcement never once have I reported anyone that has any kind of illegal status to immigration and I don't intend on changing that." That attendee said the chief's words, as they read them, did not reflect a refusal to assist with criminal investigations.
Councilmembers did not propose a formal policy change during the meeting. Mayor pro tem Ambre Kale and other members expressed support for the new chief; Kale and other councilmembers publicly welcomed McKin and said they expected the department to continue enforcing the law while following SB 54 limitations on immigration-enforcement activity. The council did not vote on any immigration policy at the meeting.
The council scheduled no further action on the matter at this session. The city manager and chief offered to meet with residents and to clarify the department's obligations under state law and local practice. The city did not provide, during the meeting, any revision to existing SB 54-related policies or a written retraction of the newspaper's account.
