-WJLA Script-

Anchor:

TONIGHT CASH IS THE CONCERN IN PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY. THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PAY FOR A TOUGH NEW STANCE ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION WITHOUT RAISING TAXES. GAIL PENNYBACKER JOINS US FROM THE NEWSROOM WITH THE LATEST.

Gail Pennybacker:

AS TAX REVENUES FALL WITH THE PROPERTY VALUES IN THE COUNTY, THE CHALLENGE INTENSIFIES TO FUND THIS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN. WHILE THE COUNTY BOARD CHAIRMAN VOWS TO GIVE POLICE ALL THEY NEED TO DO THEIR JOBS, OTHERS WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S THE COST TO THE BUDGET AND THE COMMUNITY.

Story:

FOR POLICE OFFICERS TO ENFORCE PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY'S NEW REFORMS ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, MORE MONEY IS NEEDED, NOT ONLY FOR TRAINING BUT FOR EQUIPMENT ACCORDING TO THE POLICE CHIEF, DASHBOARD CAMERAS LIKE THESE TO HELP INSURE THAT NO THERE IS NO RACIAL PROFILING, A CONCERN PARTICULARLY IN THE LATINO COMMUNITY.

RICARDO JUAREZ /RESIDENT- "The number of detention of latino people was increasing, but that can only be done under racial profiling."

THE PRICETAG FOR THE ENFORCEMENT EFFORT IS MORE THAN A MILLION DOLLARS. THE COUNTY'S RESERVE FUND MAY PAY THE BILL FOR NOW, INSTEAD OF TAX HIKE, A CONTROVERSIAL IDEA TO SOME.

TANYA RICHARDSON /RESIDENT - "They just have to find another solution or whatever, everybody has to survive, i'm not knocking 'em but there should just be another way of doing things."

MORE MONEY WILL BE NEEDED AT THE JAIL TOO, OFFICIALS SAY, CITING TWENTY PERCENT OF THE DETENTION CENTER POPULATION ARE IN THE US ILLEGALLY, CHARGED WITH VARIOUS CRIMES,  MANY DETAINED BY FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES. SOME RESIDENTS BELIEVE THE FEDS SHOULD PAY THE TAB.

ERICA POWERS /RESIDENT - "It's time for the government to step up, to take care of some things that's going on."

BUT BOARD CHAIRMAN COREY STEWART VOWS THE REFORMS WILL MARCH FORWARD, AND THE COUNTY WILL NOT SUFFER FOR THE COST.

COREY STEWART /BOARD CHAIR - "Despite the fact this is a challenging fiscal time for us, i'm confident it will be fully funded."

WHILE THE DEBATE GOES ON TO PAY FOR THIS REFORM, PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY POLICE ARE IN THE MIDST OF TRAINING OFFICERS ON PROCESSING FEDERAL IMMIGRATION DETAINEES.