Seeker of Truth
05-31-2003, 02:28 PM
Friday, May 30, 2003
'Secretive' Convention of Police Raises Questions
By PAUL SHUKOVSKY
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
Top FBI and White House anti-terrorism experts will join law enforcement colleagues in Seattle next week for a police intelligence convention that is drawing fire from a coalition of local social justice and minority organizations.
The Law Enforcement Intelligence Unit -- a private group of local and state police intelligence officials -- is for the first time allowing federal intelligence personnel to participate in the conference.
On the table will be initiatives instituted since the Sept. 11 attacks to improve the sharing of federal intelligence with local agencies.
"There needs to be discussion about how we can have a proper intelligence-sharing program in this country that protects its citizens from criminal and terrorist threats," said Dick Wright, general chairman of organization and a police captain from Simi Valley, Calif.
Although the discussions will be among officials from all levels of government, neither the public nor the media will be allowed to attend the conference.
And that concerns members of the People of Color Coalition Against the War at Home and Abroad.
The ad hoc collection of groups considers the response by police to Sept. 11 to be an attack on civil liberties that especially hurts minority and immigrant communities.
More @ seattlepi.nwsource.com (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/124337_intelligence30.html)
'Secretive' Convention of Police Raises Questions
By PAUL SHUKOVSKY
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
Top FBI and White House anti-terrorism experts will join law enforcement colleagues in Seattle next week for a police intelligence convention that is drawing fire from a coalition of local social justice and minority organizations.
The Law Enforcement Intelligence Unit -- a private group of local and state police intelligence officials -- is for the first time allowing federal intelligence personnel to participate in the conference.
On the table will be initiatives instituted since the Sept. 11 attacks to improve the sharing of federal intelligence with local agencies.
"There needs to be discussion about how we can have a proper intelligence-sharing program in this country that protects its citizens from criminal and terrorist threats," said Dick Wright, general chairman of organization and a police captain from Simi Valley, Calif.
Although the discussions will be among officials from all levels of government, neither the public nor the media will be allowed to attend the conference.
And that concerns members of the People of Color Coalition Against the War at Home and Abroad.
The ad hoc collection of groups considers the response by police to Sept. 11 to be an attack on civil liberties that especially hurts minority and immigrant communities.
More @ seattlepi.nwsource.com (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/124337_intelligence30.html)