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Ordinance Limiting SFPD Involvement in FBI Intelligence Abuses Passes Public Safety Committee
(SAN FRANCISCO, CA - 04/20/12) On Thursday April 19, 2012, an Ordinance limiting SFPD involvement in FBI intelligence abuses was presented to the San Francisco Board of Supervisor's Public Safety Committee. The Ordinance came to the Committee with eight co-sponsors and with the support of Mayor Edwin Lee.
The legislation was a result of a compromise between community advocates and the mayor's office on the issue of San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) engagement with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).
The Committee heard testimony in support of the Ordinance from members of the Coalition for Safe San Francisco, including the Arab Resource and Organizing Center, the Council on American-Islamic Relations San Francisco Bay Area, the Asian Law Caucus, and from the community of nearly eighty endorsing organizations. Speakers included Pastor Reddick of the Metropolitan Baptist Church, Saadi Nasim of Al Sabeel Mosque, Olga Miranda of SEIU Local 87, Daniel Redman of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Eddy Zheng of the Community Youth Center.
The broad coalition of community members and organizations that worked to bring forth the original Safe San Francisco Civil Rights Ordinance endorsed the new compromise as a strong step forward in the effort to prevent and address community concerns of racial and religious profiling and to implement proper transparency and oversight. After hearing the testimony, the Committee unanimously passed the Ordinance.
The Ordinance will now go before the Board of Supervisors for a first vote on Tuesday May 1, and a second vote on Tuesday, May 8. Advocates are hopeful that the Ordinance will pass the Board of Supervisors because it is currently sponsored by eight supervisors.
Once the Ordinance has passed the Board of Supervisors, it will be presented to Mayor Lee, who has indicated that he plans to sign the Ordinance. The Ordinance will then go into effect 30 days after it is signed by the Mayor.
A copy of the legislation can be found here.
For additional information, visit: www.safesf.org or www.aclunc.org/jttf
# # # About The Asian Law Caucus: The Asian Law Caucus was founded in 1972 as the nation's first legal and civil rights Asian American organization. Recognizing that social, economic, political and racial inequalities continue to exist in the United States, ALC is committed to the pursuit of equality and justice for all sectors of our society, with a specific focus directed toward addressing the needs of low-income, immigrant and underserved Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The Asian Law Caucus is a member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice. Visit: http://asianlawcaucus.org
About The Coalition for a Safe San Francisco: The Coalition for a Safe San Francisco is a growing grassroots alliance dedicated to protecting the civil rights and civil liberties challenged by overbroad national security policies. These policies have historically impacted communities of struggle and today are disproportionately targeting South Asian, Arab, and Muslim Americans. Our Coalition seeks to end racial, religious, and ethnic profiling and harassment by local and federal law enforcement agents in the City and County of San Francisco through community organizing, education, and policy and legal advocacy. Visit: http://www.safesf.org | 
