(Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Brown made the following statement:

I am very concerned and highly disturbed with the manner and conduct of these "raids" by the Orange County Sheriff's Office and other agencies.  Every citizen has a right to expect that law enforcement is present to insure the safety of its citizens, and that such law enforcement follows prudent and acceptable law enforcement procedures.  However, these recent raids, in the presence of young children and patrons, with barbers being handcuffed and paraded as hardened criminals operating a continuous criminal enterprise, is beyond the acceptable practice, when in fact most arrestees, those with actual infractions were "guilty" of operating without a state license.  The manner of these "raids" paint a picture of perhaps overkill and a disregard for due process. Certainly, some degree of respect and courtesy could have been afforded. 

I have worked very hard to secure funding for Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) programs that are designed to avoid these situations by fostering trust between officers and the people they serve.  These tactics can have a disturbing effect on the fabric of police-community relations, especially in these critical times when citizen and police relations are ever more important, given the socio-economic climate our communities face. 

I will follow these actions and will present my concerns to all appropriate authorities, and will urge during the interim restraint, respect and compliance with law and civility.

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