[pjw] INFO: Joint Terrorism Task Force Report on Council agenda Wed

[Peace and Justice Works]

PJW supporters

For the first time since 2019 when the City voted to stop assigning 
officers to the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force but to continue a "case 
by case" relationship, the public will be allowed to speak during the 
Council's hearing on the JTTF.

The PPB's annual report on the JTTF is required to be heard in January by 
City policy. As expected, the report is very threadbare.

I am just realizing that although I was representing PJW broadly as well
as Portland Copwatch, I neglected to share with this list that in 
November, five of us from the JTTF campaign successfully asked City 
Council to end Mayor Wheeler's four-year ban on hearing public testimony 
on Reports. That's why we will be able to speak directly to Council on 
Wednesday. In 2020, we held a mock City Council hearing outside City Hall 
before the hearing, covered by many news outlets. There was an empty table 
with nameplates representing the absent Council members. In 2021, we did a 
livestream commentary of the Council hearing, giving background and 
responding to what was being said.

Here are the details on Wednesday's agenda item:

  Item 54
  Accept the Portland Police Bureau's report to City Council on the 2022
  Portland Joint Terrorism Task Force (Report)
  Introduced by Mayor Ted Wheeler
  Bureau Police
  Time requested 20 minutes

https://www.portland.gov/sites/default/files/council-documents/2022/2022-ppb-report-to-city-council-on-jttf_0.pdf

Here's the substantive part of the new JTTF annual report:

-----

  The number of cases that were referred to the FBI by the PPB In 2021

  PPB CIU referred seven (7) cases to the FBI JTTF for review. The nature
  of these cases included a shooting at a Federal facility; a bomb
  threat to a religious facility; arson; a threat of targeted violence
  to a police officer (subject link to other Federal charges); a
  threat of targeted violence to an elected official; a bomb threat to a
  City of Portland bridge; and, a bomb threat to a federal facility. The
  known demographics of the subjects involved include one Hispanic female
  and five (5) white males. In two (2) cases , no suspect was identified.

  Nature of Closed Cases Referred to the PPB by the FBI (including
  demographics of persons investigated; and the disposition of those
  cases)

  The following outlines each case referred to the PPB by the FBI that
  fits the described criteria: Case 1 viii Report of 14 - year - old
  making a social media post bomb threat to a school. White Male
  (identified) Case Closed. Subject interviewed, threat determined not to
  be credible

---------

So according to the Police Bureau, the FBI only asked them for help once
last year for school bomb threat. And the PPB made accusations of
"terrorism" against five white men, one "Hispanic female" and two
unknown individuals?

The link to sign up to testify is here:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ax6u0hnwSPyimZKXTVrGFw


dan handelman
peace and justice works / portland copwatch