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More of the Same: 2023 Joint Terrorism Task Force Report
Shows Vague Threats Lead FBI to Engage PPB

Just five days before the City Council would hold a hearing on the matter, the Portland Police Bureau published its required annual report on its work with the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). As with the last few years since the City quasi-pulled out of the JTTF, only working with them on a "case by case basis," the report revealed only tidbits of information which indicate that no serious threats to the City were thwarted by the partnership. This is significant because the community's ongoing push to get Portland out of the JTTF since 2000 (PPR #23) is based in part on the state statute (ORS 181A.250) that prohibits unwarranted spying by Oregon law enforcement with no reasonable suspicion of criminal conduct.

At the January 31 Council hearing, Sgt. Mark Friedman of the Criminal Intelligence Unit (which houses the two officers who have security clearance to be on the JTTF) gave a monotone presentation of the gist of the report, asking if the Council wanted to hear the details of all the cases from 2022 which were newly revealed. Nobody seemed to care.

For the record, here is a summary of those cases:

--there are three cases the FBI asked the Bureau to help with, but no indication at all what the substance is.

--Six of the seven cases that were still open in 2022 are detailed:

-->Two were referred to the Behavioral Health Unit as non-criminal offenses (one involving two men, one Black and one white, the other a white woman).

-->Three were closed due to "lack of tangible leads", all regarding vandalism (two to houses of worship, one to several downtown buildings).

-->The last was a white male who made threats of violence who was not deemed to pose an actual danger.

The Bureau is not required to list the details of the cases it sends to the FBI, but continues to do so as a courtesy.

--This year the PPB sent a case about a white male making a threat against a Portlander over social media. The outcome of this case is not included.

Five people from community groups who have been following the JTTF for years testified. Jude al- Ghazal Stone from the ACLU of Oregon gave context about the state statute, including that the ACLU prevailed in a related court case about the PPB livestreaming at protests (PPR #85). Marleen Wallingford from Portland JACL (Japanese American Citizens League) reminded the Council of the history of the FBI rounding up Japanese American citizens--including in Oregon-- immediately after Pearl Harbor. Attorney Brandon Mayfield told his story of being misidentified as a suspect due to his Islamic faith in 2004 (PPR #33) and talked about how local Muslims are being visited since the war on Gaza began. Dan Handelman of Portland Copwatch told the history of how PCW found the JTTF on the Council's "consent agenda" in 2000, eventually leading to the City getting out in 2005 (PPR #36), returning in 2011 (PPR #54) and out again in 2019 (PPR #77), and read some of the missing case details into the record. Debbie Aiona from League of Women Voters explained how police spying discourages people from being civically involved and related information about recent FBI stings around the US.

Two members of Council (Commissioners Rubio and Ryan) thanked people for their testimony but insisted that being part of the JTTF is important because the FBI is needed to track right wing extremists. Unfortunately, history tells us that's not really an overarching goal of the FBI. Commissioner Gonzalez took a swipe at Stone's testimony by asking "what about all the damage done by the riots???" The ACLU noted in an online response, even if there was damage, that doesn't justify recording people who are protesting and not committing any crimes.

Mayor Wheeler restated his position, that he disagreed with getting out in 2019 but believes the current arrangement is the result of a compromise. However he said it's likely that the relationship will be revisited at some point in the near future, maybe meaning the new incoming Council will examine it next year. This could be a good prospect, if the incoming 12-person Council votes to sever formal ties with the FBI... or could be a harbinger of returning to the bad old days of PPB putting its scarce resources into unlawful spying.

May, 2024
Also in PPR #92

Portland Copwatch
PO Box 42456
Portland, OR 97242
(503) 236-3065/ Incident Report Line (503) 321-5120
e-mail: copwatch@portlandcopwatch.org

Portland Copwatch is a grassroots, volunteer organization promoting police accountability through citizen action.

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