The revised “Regional Agreement” with ICE has indeed fallen apart.  We were trying to get a tri-party (PWC/Manassas/MP) agreement approved by ICE and it appeared this summer that they (ICE/DHS) were ok with it.  The Chief advised the Council last night that DHS has changed their mind and are not prepared to go forward.  Instead of one agreement for all 3 jurisdicitions we will have to negotiate individual agreements with DHS.  According to the Chief, we will try to negotiate identical agreements for all 3.  This may or may not work.

In addition, DHS has indicated that the City PD and PWC officers in the west end of the County will have to use the ICE computers at the Jail.  Further, DHS has reserved 1 slot in their training program for City of Manassas this spring.
The ICE agreement for the jail remains in place and continues to be effective.

I had the pleasure of taking a White House tour today. The event was great and many thanks to those that invited me. The White House looked nice all dressed up for Christmas. I’m not much of a reviewer but I found the gold leaves everywhere a bit garish however everything else was as one would expect. I’ve previously toured the mansions in Newport RI so the White House isn’t particularly stunning in terms of scope but it is nifty to be in the seat of power. Of the 5 rooms on the tour, I recall several momentous things happening in them so the sense of history is pretty strong too.

However, what struck me most are the changes that have occured in the proximity of the White House and Congress. It’s been awhile since I visited that part of the City but the number of roads that are closed (permanently or temporarily) and pedestrian walkways that are barricaded off is amazing. There are also dozens of obviously armed folks (and probably twice that number who were not so obvious) littered about the area. Now I’m not going to run around, flap my arms and declare that the terrorists have already won but the notion of a random individual crashing a car bomb into a building near the White House is clearly one that the government takes seriously. Many times the changes are simply clumsy – a 4′ wrought iron fence strung accross a 20′ sidewalk that clearly doesn’t belong. The security screening for the White House (very efficient, btw) is conducted in what could fairly be described as a trailer. However, some of the other changes – especially those used to close roads have evolved over time and now seem appropriate.

I’m just trying to convey my sense of the place – it’s a fortress. A fortress that allows some limited access (by previous appointment) but a fortress nevertheless. Contrast this with my experience in Richmond where I could walk up to the doors of the State House and knock on them without so much as a “by your leave” or an armed guard in evidence. I don’t know that I’m trying to draw any conclusions here but it is interesting.