[pjw] INFO: Joint Terrorism Task Force: Letter urging Council to pass limiting resolution

[Peace and Justice Works]

(sorry for the second bulk email of the day and for duplication with the 
Portland Copwatch list...)


Greetings supporters of peace, justice and police accountability

We sent this letter to Council and the media. 21 groups plus Brandon
Mayfield are signed on. We can add to the signatures depending whether
Council takes action (as promised... by April 9) or not. It's ok to
share this email.

--dan handelman
peace and justice works/portland copwatch

--

Date: Wed, 17 Apr 2019 12:17:05 -0700
From: Portland Copwatch <copwatch at portlandcopwatch.org>
To: Portland City Council Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty
 	<joann at portlandoregon.gov>, Commissioner Amanda Fritz
 	<amanda at portlandoregon.gov>, Commissioner Nick Fish
 	<nick at portlandoregon.gov>, Commissioner Chloe Eudaly
 	<chloe at portlandoregon.gov>, Mayor Ted Wheeler
 	<mayorwheeler at portlandoregon.gov>
Cc: News Media <newsmedia at portlandcopwatch.org>, Portland Copwatch
 	<copwatch at portlandcopwatch.org>
Subject: Joint Terrorism Task Force: Letter urging Council to pass limiting
 	resolution

Joint Terrorism Task Force: Letter urging Council to pass limiting
resolution

Mayor Wheeler and members of City Council:

Tuesday, April 9 marked 55 days since the passage of the Resolution to
pull Portland Police officers out of the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
That day was set as a deadline under binding City policy for the Mayor's
office and Chief to work with Commissioner Hardesty on language
describing how the PPB will interact with the FBI's JTTF in the future.*

We are hoping to see a second resolution which:

--limits the ways in which the PPB can get involved with FBI terrorism
investigations, as defined by federal law and the JTTF's mission
statement, including strict adherence to Oregon law and City policy and
the requirement for a criminal nexus;

--addresses the concerns that the City cannot tell the FBI what to do;

--requires annual reports which include how often the PPB is asked to,
and how many times PPB agrees to work with the JTTF;

and

--calls for the Bureau to draft a Directive (policy) outlining how such
investigations will be handled, to be reviewed and approved by Council,
with no changes allowed without public and Council review.

All of this seems to be in line with the Resolution that was passed
after overwhelming testimony in favor on February 13. Please do not
delay the implementation of the withdrawal any further. The
organizations representing labor, faith, social justice, immigrant
rights, environmental, African American, Asian American, Muslim, Jewish,
Christian, business and other communities who urged Council to take
responsibility for the actions of our police are counting on you to
follow through with the promises made for a just and accountable Bureau.

Sincerely,

ACLU of Oregon
Unite Oregon
Albina Ministerial Alliance Coalition
    for Justice and Police Reform
Brandon Mayfield
NAACP Portland Branch
Peace and Justice Works / Portland Copwatch
League of Women Voters of Portland
Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility
Portland Jobs with Justice
Portland Democratic Socialists of America
Veterans For Peace Chapter 72
Portland Interfaith Clergy Resistance
Portland's Resistance
Jewish Voice for Peace-Portland
Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition
Freedom to Thrive Portland
Peace Action Group of the First Unitarian Church
Network Against Racism and Islamophobia
Pacific Green Party
St. Luke Lutheran Peace & Justice Group
Individuals For Justice
Kafoury & McDougal

April 17, 2019**

*- from the Resolution:
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Mayor and Commissioner Hardesty, after
consultation with PPB Chief Outlaw, will return to Council within 55
days of this Resolution's passage with another Resolution detailing how
the City of Portland and PPB will handle information coming from federal
investigators and under what circumstances PPB will provide information
to and cooperate with ongoing terrorist and threat investigations being
conducted by federal agencies within Portland.

**-Signatures as of 12:10 PM April 17, more may be added in the future.