OPD’s Birbeck Talks Immigration at Graham event

Olney Police Chief Dan Birbeck joined Young County law enforcement leaders and community advocates at a March 24 immigration forum hosted at North Central Texas College in Graham. The public forum, organized by Sheriff Travis Babcock, Graham Police Chief Brent Bullock, and Mike Sipes, a board member of the Graham Food Pantry and Crisis Center, aimed to educate residents about immigration issues in the region.

Chief Birbeck spoke about the impact of human trafficking and undocumented immigration in Olney and surrounding areas, providing insight into both the challenges and successes the OPD has encountered.

“In the last calendar year, we’ve made at least five arrests for human trafficking,” Chief Birbeck told attendees. “In each case, we recovered everyone in the vehicle, placed immigration detainers on them, and turned them over to Border Patrol.”

Chief Birbeck noted that in addition to making arrests, the Olney Police Department has also seized vehicles used in trafficking operations as part of efforts to dismantle criminal networks. Those vehicles are repurposed as assets for the department, helping fund equipment and training to combat similar crimes.

While the OPD has dealt with human trafficking cases, Chief Birbeck also highlighted Olney’s positive relationship with the City’s legal immigrant workforce. Many local businesses employ workers on legal work visas, and Chief Birbeck said his department has worked closely with employers and immigrant employees to promote safety and understanding.

“We do education with them — everything from traffic laws to bicycle safety,” he said. “Since we started that collaboration, we haven’t had problems. These are people who are following the law and doing it right.”

Chief Birbeck also addressed persistent rumors circulating in Young County about an alleged large immigrant camp in Newcastle and Olney. He clarified that the so-called “camp” is actually a temporary housing facility created by a local employer struggling to fill hundreds of job openings.

“There are 45 beds there, and about 30 are occupied,” Birbeck explained. “It’s a mix of U.S. citizens and employees here legally on visas. They’re lawfully here, working, and not causing problems.”

The forum, attended by area residents and community leaders, was billed as an educational event, not a political one. Sheriff Babcock and Chief Bullock also spoke about the broader impact of immigration in Young County, while Mike Sipes discussed the community’s charitable efforts to assist those in need.

Chief Birbeck said that immigration-related crime in Olney has dropped significantly in recent months.

“We don’t see it like we were seeing it, not anywhere close,” he said. “The few problems we’ve had with undocumented immigrants have basically disappeared.”