Gerald’s Police Chief Jim Helton obtained approval from the board of aldermen to begin teaming up with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

ICE is a federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security responsible for cross-border crime and immigration law enforcement. Helton reports he will be working with their St. Louis branch.

Along with Helton, Lt. James Birmingham and Officer Keith Young have all received training for dealing with ICE-related cases.

Helton says originally his interest was piqued by the opportunity to check on children who had become separated from their parents. Currently there are no such situations in the area. Yet, there are other opportunities for Helton to aid the federal agency. His department can help identify and apprehend any immigrants who may be involved in criminal activity.

In a statement to The Republican, Helton said he believes the majority of immigrants in the community are law-abiding members of society. He notes, “The criminal element is very small.”

According to Helton, most local law enforcement agencies are already in similar cooperative agreements with ICE.