Report highlights concerns with how police gathered surveillance during Portland protests
Report highlights concerns with how police gathered surveillance during Portland protests
by KATU Staff Wednesday, April 6th 2022
PORTLAND, Ore. Portland police officers gathered and stored information about political activity without documenting criminal suspicion during protests in 2020, according to an audit released Wednesday by City Auditor Mary Hull Caballero.
Officials reviewed a sample of 40 police reports related to 2020 protests and 33 Criminal Intelligence Unit reports and bulletins.
The report found the Portland Police Bureau provided no guidance for officers at protests about what information they could collect and that the Criminal Intelligence Unit did not limit access to its reports and kept them past their retention schedule.
The report says police must gather information to investigate crimes but when they gather and hold information about political activity and employ surveillance technology without appropriate safeguards, it infringes on First Amendment rights, makes people feel less safe, generates useless and incorrect information, and creates the potential for abuse.
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