Five Things To Know About Portland’s Joint Terrorism Task Force
Thursday, February 05, 2015
Mayor Charlie Hales has proposed new resolutions to the City Council that would change the city's dealings with the FBI task force. Dana Haynes, communications director for the Mayor’s Office, said Hales is unhappy with the results of the city’s current position, and the FBI reports they receive.
“We should be completely out or completely in,” Haynes said. “These reports are not really telling what’s going on. Universally, I think everybody thinks they’re not very good and wants to get rid of them.”
Slideshow Below: Five Things To Know About Portland's Joint Terrorism Task Force
The City of Portland first voted to join the task force, a FBI program that involves local law enforcement with terrorism-related investigations, in 1997. However, unhappy with the relationship, Portland voted in 2005 to withdraw from the task force.
Yet after a bomb threat in 2010, involving an FBI sting operation, the council decided in 2011 to enter into an “as-needed basis” with the FBI. Although the city was not formally in agreement with the agency, Portland Police Bureau would be involved in some aspects of the investigations.
Mayor Charlie Hales has now put forward two new resolutions, which would end the half-committed relationship between the city and FBI. Hanes said the mayor has not made up his mind yet to join the task force or not, but is looking to citizens for their opinions.
“The Mayor literally has a lot of questions, to see if [the city] would be better in or out,” Haynes said. “He’s saying ‘bring me the facts.’”
The FBI said they would welcome the Portland’s reinstatement into the task force. Larry Carl is an assistant special agent in charge of the national security branch of the Portland Joint Terrorism Task Force.
“We definitely welcome them coming back on. From our perspectives it provides a closer working relationship,” Carl said. “The PPB has historical local knowledge that is useful.”
Whichever way the board decides to go, Carl said the FBI is committed to working with the PPB and would advise the police chief to any active threats.
The City Council will hold a public hearing on Thursday, Feb. 5 to receive public input on Portland’s involvement with the FBI task force. The commissioners will then vote at their normal meeting on Feb. 11th, unless they decide to delay the issue for a later date.
Related Slideshow: Five Things To Know About Portland’s Joint Terrorism Task Force
The Portland City Council is considering new resolutions that would change the city's involvement with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. There are two possible new directions the city could choose. Here are five things that could change:
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