SLO County DA’s Office urged staff to travel in pairs around ICE forum. Why?
As local law enforcement prepared for large crowds at a special Board of Supervisors forum Tuesday, the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office sent out an internal memo warning staff to avoid the area and even travel in pairs for personal safety.
The advisory came despite the office acknowledging no indication of “specific threats.”
The Transparent Review of Unjust Transfers and Holds Act — or TRUTH Act — forum was held to provide data and answer questions about how the Sheriff’s Office interacts with federal immigration officers.
It drew hundreds of people to the government center on Monterey Street, with anti-ICE protesters filling the sidewalks in front of the SLO County courthouse, where they led chants and waved signs.
Memo sent to all DA’s Office staff
On Tuesday morning, Terry O’Farrell, chief of the DA’s Office Bureau of Investigations, sent an email out to all DA’s Office staff in anticipation of the large public turnout. The email was shared with The Tribune from an anonymous source.
“Currently, we are not aware of any specific threats,” O’Farrell said in the email. “However, out of an abundance of caution, the bureau has coordinated a safety plan with outside law enforcement agencies to ensure appropriate coverage and response if needed.”
O’Farrell did not immediately respond to The Tribune’s call or email requests for details about which outside law enforcement agencies contributed to the safety plan or why the office felt the need to send such a memo.
Five San Luis Obispo police officers sat on bikes outside of the county government center minutes before the TRUTH Act Forum began around 1:20 p.m. and a few Sheriff’s Office deputies were in the room during the meeting.
For “situational awareness and personal safety,” staff were also advised to “avoid the Monterey Street area” throughout the day, to “travel in pairs” when taking breaks or leaving the office at the end of the day, and to “be aware of your surroundings and report any suspicious activity to a supervisor or law enforcement immediately.”
“These measures are precautionary and intended to ensure the continued safety of all personnel,” O’Farrell said in the memo.
The Tribune also reached out to District Attorney Dan Dow and Assistant DA Eric Dobroth, but they did not immediately respond to the request for comment.
