Beck talks immigration to church group

By Nancy Spencer, The Delphos Herald
Published:  Wednesday, January 9, 2008 (4 months ago)
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Allen County Sheriff Dan Beck, right, and Captain Steve Hoverman spoke about illegal immigrants to Trinity United Methodist Men Monday evening. The group learned what the sheriff’s office is doing to help curb the problem in the country.DELPHOS — The Trinity United Methodist Men  got the rundown on Allen County Sheriff Dan Beck’s department’s efforts on the illegal immigration issue in the country Monday evening.
Beck, along with Capt. Steve Hoverman, spoke to the more than two dozen in attendance about how he and his deputies realized the county had an immigration problem.
“I was driving to work everyday and I began to notice a change in the demographics of the people I was seeing,” Sheriff Beck said. “That alone didn’t make me really take a closer look. It was a tragic van crash.”
In June 2005, a van carrying five people ran a stop sign on State Route 115 and Lincoln Highway, resulting in three deaths. Only one of the five in the van was a legal citizen. One of the fatalities is buried in the township cemetery with the false name provided on documents.
“We identified the other illegal immigrant and his family claimed the body,” Beck said. “The other one was never claimed.”
Six weeks later, Butler County called Sheriff Beck for assistance in finding a fugitive accused of raping a child. An Allen County deputy was assigned to the task force to help locate the man and the group faced a tight-lipped community.
“When we went into the neighborhood where we thought this individual might be, we found that no one wanted to talk to us. We found the house he was hiding in and they were leaving him alone with their women and children while they went to work everyday,” he explained.
Beck said the mentality of illegal aliens toward law enforcement is quite different than the average citizen.
“They come from countries where law enforcement is so corrupt they know they are going to have to pay to avoid jail,” Beck explained. “They don’t realize we are here to help. They don’t report crimes and therefore there are more than likely many crimes we don’t and won’t know about.”
Beck added that since they are coming into the country illegally, they don’t go through the naturalization process and learn why Americans love their country.
“The U.S. is a nation of laws, not of men. All men are equal because we are all bound by the same laws and standards,” Beck said. “What sets the United States apart from other countries is the way our government is set up and managed.”
Illegal immigration has necessitated changes in Beck’s department.
“A few years ago, I would never have known what a falsified document looked like,” Captain Hoverman said. “I saw quite a few and thought they were legitimate and sent them on their way. I also never knew there was no such thing an ‘international driver’s license.’ You can buy one on the Internet, though.”
The force has now been trained to spot false documentation; when an illegal immigrant presents one to an officer, that is a state offense that allows the sheriff’s office to hold that person.
“When they present that false documentation, they are breaking the law and we have the right and even duty to find out who they really are,” Beck said.
Deputies have also taken basic Spanish courses so when they stop someone who speaks the language they can’t use the ‘no habla ingles’ excuse.
“Now, when I stop someone and they say that,” Hoverman said. “I can respond to them in Spanish and its apparent pretty quickly whether they are doing something wrong or not.”
Beck stressed that the illegal immigrant population is not just Spanish-speaking people.
“We have illegal immigrants from India, Poland, Romania and nine other countries. It’s not just Mexicans or Spanish-speaking individuals,” Beck explained.
The sheriff’s department also has an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to transport illegal aliens to Cleveland or Detroit, assisting a much-overtaxed program. ICE has only 48 investigators in Ohio, the seventh-most populated U.S. state.
For Beck, the issue is not just catching people who have entered the country illegally. Businesses who hire illegal aliens are also coming under fire.
“I had a lady call me to thank me for working on this problem. She said, ‘No, I really want to thank you. I am a single mom and the children’s father pays nothing. I had been on a waiting list for two years at this place and have been working for two weeks now. I don’t think that would have happened if you hadn’t cracked down in the hiring of illegal aliens’,” he added. “A lot of businesses are like we were. They didn’t know how to tell if documents were false or not. Now they can call us and we can come out and look at them.
“We also have businesses who make it a common practice to hire illegals. We simply tell them that the IRS is interested in their records and they become very willing to work with us.”

6 Reader Responses to “Beck talks immigration to church group”

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  1. #1 — Added 4 months ago

    Dan Beck is a man who has “walked the walk” on dealing with the fallout of ILLEGAL immigration.

    I met and spoke with Sheriff Beck when he spoke at our meeting in Frankfort, Indiana two months ago.

    He is a tireless and truthful advocate for the “Rule of Law”.

    Thanks again Sheriff Beck!

    One Old Vet

    Posted on January 9, 2008 at 3:37 am by One Old Vet

  2. #2 — Added 4 months ago

    I remember in 1984 I was stationed in Del Rio, Tx at Laughlin AFB. During base orientation we were infromed that there was areas we should not be in. The areas were the Mexican and Indian areas. They did not like gringos or blacks in those areas and we shouldn’t be in those areas. Hard to believe and American can not go into somewhere in the United States but it is so. Soon we will have many of these areas, stretch out all over the United States. It will be the same is happening in England and France when you get too many foriegnors from one place and they don’t want to assimilate to our country, they want you to assimilate to their culture. I see enough of the third world on TV and do not need to see it here.

    Posted on January 9, 2008 at 9:46 am by howard

  3. #3 — Added 4 months ago

    Thank you Sheriff Dan Beck!!!

    The illegal immigration problem is a crisis. I, unfortunately, bought a house near an area where illegals congregate. In the past few years, they’ve swelled in numbers.

    I now live, pretty much, in a third world country with uncivilized, lawless, unsanitary animals.

    I didn’t think like this before. I was forced into this by them. Don’t blame me until you have also live near them. You will change your mind or move before you do.

    Posted on January 9, 2008 at 2:28 pm by Linda Becknard

  4. #4 — Added 4 months ago

    Dan Beck knows the truth and consequence of allowing laws to broken..it leads to anarchy. God Bless Dan Beck.

    Posted on January 9, 2008 at 3:49 pm by Wayne

  5. #5 — Added 3 months, 3 weeks ago

    Pastor Dalke noted the above news item on the net and sends greetings to the sheriff and staff.

    Posted on January 18, 2008 at 11:49 am by Pastor Dan U. Dalke

  6. #6 — Added 3 months, 2 weeks ago

    Your sheriff Dan Beck is an American hero! We follow his actions thru the press and he has also visited Illinois to speak with us. Honest sheriffs are very rare here in the Combine state. Hopefully we can elect someone like Beck or Arpiao in Az. ,then we can began to take our state back.

    Posted on January 22, 2008 at 2:11 pm by truckertom