PSAs to explain Special Order 40

In case anyone has forgotten about one of the most controversial and longest-running issues facing the Los Angeles Police Department, Chief Charlie Beck on Thursday called a press conference to remind the public of the department's continuing support for Special Order 40. Daily News.

The order, created in 1979, prevents police officers from stopping people specifically to ask about their immigration status. It has been questioned for years by conservative critics who maintain it removes a tool from law enforcement and requires officers to ignore potential violations of federal law.

Beck and the department prepared a series of public service announcements on the order, working with the consuls general from Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador.