[pjw] UPDATE/ACTION: Mayor's office won't bend on narrowing JTTF mission

[Peace and Justice Works]

PJW and PCW supporters

If you have not yet written to the City Council about the second Joint
Terrorism Task Force Resolution that is expected to be voted on
tomorrow sometime between 9:45 and 11:30 AM, please do so.

https://www.portlandoregon.gov/auditor/article/730845

If you do, if you are a member or supporter of Peace and Justice Works
and/or Portland Copwatch please let them know that. (Also, if you are a
member of any of the 50 groups who signed the letter to Council asking
to get out of the JTTF:

http://www.portlandcopwatch.org/pjttfalpha.html )

This is important because when PCW and other groups from the JTTF
campaign met with Council staff today, the Mayor's aide indicated that
she feels the people who showed up to testify at City Council in
February were just "people who had time to do so" and that they "do not
represent the community."

The same issues that we raised in our email on Thursday still exist,
though there was an indication that the Council might consider
modifying the problematic paragraph on when the PPB can work with the
JTTF to better mirror ORS 181A.250. The proposed language that we gave
them would require _individualized_ rather than general reasonable
suspicion of criminal conduct. So do continue to urge them to make that
change, it may happen.

The other change we asked for, though, which would narrow the
circumstances where the PPB could work with the JTTF by changing cases
of "terrorism and/or threats to life including hate crimes" to
"terrorism and threats to life including hate crimes," was described as
a "non-starter" by the Mayor's office.

FYI we put forward a number of arguments, including:

--this represents mission creep by the "Terrorism Task Force"

(Their response: It reflects the reality that the JTTF is now
investigating school shootings and hate crimes.)

--this could result in the PPB working with the JTTF dozens or hundreds
of times in a year.

(Their response: Yes, that's true, each one would have to be approved
by the Chief, and we trust the Chief.)

--it is not necessary to leverage the resources of the FBI, ICE and
other federal agencies as well as the State Police and other local
jurisdictions to investigate "threats to life including hate crimes."

(The Mayor's aide said that is an interesting point, and could
find out operationally why that is needed.)

--the FBI has historically investigated people who have not committed
any crimes, including Brandon Mayfield.

(Their response: The Portland Police know that they have to follow
Oregon law.)

Also as noted in Thursday's email, many of the concerns we raised in
the April 17 letter signed by 21 groups are incorporated in the final
Resolution.

http://portlandcopwatch.org/pjttf55days.html

***However, we don't want the unintended consequence of pulling two
part-time officers out of the JTTF to be that the Portland Police are
working with the JTTF more often than before.***

Here are the emails for Council and their aides:

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: "Bradley, Derek" <Derek.Bradley at portlandoregon.gov>,
     "Yohannes, Winta" <Winta.Yohannes at portlandoregon.gov>,
     "Lawrence, Asena" <Asena.Lawrence at portlandoregon.gov>,
     "Castro, Cynthia" <Cynthia.Castro at portlandoregon.gov>,
     "Grant, Nicole" <Nicole.Grant at portlandoregon.gov>

If you want, please blind (or open) cc: us at Portland Copwatch.

It is true in a sense that they have the power to do whatever they
want.

We, the people, also have the power to rise up and demand better.

--dan handelman
peace and justice works / portland copwatch

(sorry for duplication with the PCW list)