!*ACLU and Police Spying (Illinois)

[Marpessa Kupendua]

)From: "Paul J. Hirschfield" <p-hi...@nwu.edu>
)
)ACLU Opposes Chicago's Move to Modify Consent Decree Governing Police Spying
)
)FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
)Thursday, March 13, 1997
)
)CHICAGO -- Stating that the terms of the current consent decree
)governing police spying do not hamper the City of Chicagos ability to do
)sound police investigations, the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois
)has asked a federal district court judge to allow mediation as a first
)effort in trying to resolve the Citys motion to modify the 15-year-old,
)court-sanctioned agreement.
)
)During a brief court appearance before federal judge Ann C. Williams on the
)Citys motion to modify the 1982 consent decree, ACLU legal director Harvey
)Grossman suggested that negotiations might benefit from an independent
)mediator. "We would all profit from the insight of a neutral third party,"
)said Grossman. "After a year and a half of unsupervised discussions, it is
)clear that we have not reached an agreement on this matter."
)
)Judge Williams, however, said that before she would consider mediation, she
)would ask another judge to sit down with the parties before the next court
)date scheduled for April 25th. If no agreement is reached there will likely
)be a full hearing on the modification request.
)
)The Citys motion seeks to amend an agreement that resulted from two
)lawsuits, American Civil Liberties Union v. City of Chicago and Alliance to
)End Repression v. City of Chicago. It set specific guidelines for police
)surveillance of political activities. Prior to the decree, the Chicago
)Police Departments infamous "Red Squad" conducted a massive campaign of
)infiltration and spying on hundreds of lawful community organizations based
)solely on their political beliefs and
)associations. The police actions included surveillance of lawful political
)activities using illegal wiretaps and break-ins, informers , and police
)infiltrators, as well as the disruption of meetings and lawful
)demonstrations.
)
)The City says that the consent decree impedes the police departments
)ability to investigate criminal activity. However according to the terms
)of the agreement, there is nothing that prohibits police from doing police
)surveillance of criminal activity. What it does is stop police from keeping
)files and spying on the legal, First Amendment activities of citizens and
)groups, unless there is reasonable suspicion of unlawful actions.
)
)"Under the current terms of the consent decree the Chicago Police have far
)reaching power to protect the citizens of Chicago," remarked Grossman.
)"Modification would effectively eradicate judicial oversight over the
)sensitive function of intelligence gathering. This is simply an effort by
)the City to escape judicial review. Decades of abuse shows us that we
)cannot afford to allow the City of Chicago to operate in such a fashion."
)
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)American Civil Liberties Union National Office
)132 West 43rd Street
)New York, New York 10036
)
)Paul J. Hirschfield
)Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. USA
)p-hi...@nwu.edu
)
)++++ stop the execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal ++++
) ++++ if you agree copy these lines to your sig ++++
)