Portland Pulls Out Of Joint Terrorism Task Force By Narrow Vote

PORTLAND, OR – Portland's on-again, off-again relationship with the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force is off again. The city council voted 3-2 to leave.

Before the hearing, Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, who opposes the arrangement, who led the opposition to the arrangement, held a rally outside of City Hall.

Hardesty was joined by Commissioners Amanda Fritz and Chloe Eudaly while Mayor Wheeler and Commissioner Nick Fish opposed it.

Get all the latest information on what's happening in your community by signing up for Patch's newsletters and breaking news alerts

While some accused Hardesty of rushing to judgment, she rejected that, "This is not a new issue for communities."

She says that people have been working on it since Portland rejoined the task force four years ago.

Hardesty has been blunt in casting doubt on a statement by the director of the FBI's Portland office that agents here are "focused on white supremacy and alt-right groups organizing in our community."

"I don’t believe them," she says. They have a long history in this country of targeting individuals for their political activism. We are not safer having Portland police working in secret with federal agencies that are attempting to re-write the lived experiences of Black people and other communities of color. Immigrants and refugees deserve to feel safe from over-policing and overreach by our federal government.

"Nothing about the JTTF makes that possible."

Police Chief Danielle Outlaw sees it differently.

She says that the city's partnership with the FBI is valuable and helps the police bureau in several ways including letting Portland know of threats to civil rights as well as terrorist threats against the city.

FBI Special Agent In Charge of the Portland Office Renn Cannon says that the FBI knows that they have issues to overcome, saying that, "Recognizing the fears that exist in the community, we will continue to visit with community leaders and work together to keep Oregon safe while addressing those factors that can drive a wedge between us.

"I want the people of Oregon to know that the men and women of the FBI do their work with the utmost respect for and adherence to our shared Constitutional protections that allow us to speak, gather and worship freely no matter who we are or where we come from. I thank them for the work they do every day."

Portland only rejoined the task force four years ago – in Feb. 2015. That was also a 3-2 vote. Only that time, the result went the other way.

Photo of Hardesty via Mayor Ted Wheeler.