Mesa Police Won't Cancel 'Islamophobic' Training; Is County Attorney Bill Montgomery Involved?
The Mesa Police Department is doubling down on plans to provide space for an "anti-jihadi" training led by John Guandolo, a disgraced former FBI agent known for peddling conspiracy theories about American Muslims.
Last week, the Council for American-Islamic Relations wrote to interim chief Michael Dvorak. CAIR said that the Mesa Police Department "should disassociate itself from such biased, inaccurate, and counterproductive training, which if implemented in the field by police officers could have a negative impact on the safety and civil rights of Arizona Muslims, or those perceived to be Muslim.
"I dont know that we have responded to them," Detective Steve Berry tells Phoenix New Times. "Every time we host this event, we get the same letter, as I understand."
Oddly, an e-mail promoting the training, scheduled for May 16-18, says that it's hosted by the Arizona Police Association, but Berry says that the space appears to have been booked by the Maricopa County Attorneys Office.
Read more: http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/mesa-police-wont-cancel-islamophobic-training-is-maricopa-county-attorney-bill-montgomery-involved-9296317