Since we're talking about government accusing people of being gang members with little or no evidence and coming down on them - the Portland Police restarted their gang taskforce under a different name and continue the same old disproportionate over-policing of Black and Brown people. - ThreadSky

sometimespdx.bsky.social • 15 days ago

Since we're talking about government accusing people of being gang members with little or no evidence and coming down on them - the Portland Police restarted their gang taskforce under a different name and continue the same old disproportionate over-policing of Black and Brown people.

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blowen.bsky.social•14 days ago

If only Biden's DOJ would have investigated and shut this shit down. Or, you know, delivered on his explicit promise to pass sweeping police reform.

sometimespdx.bsky.social•14 days ago

The Portland "Focus Intervention Team" (gang taskforce) uses pretext stops for targeted harassment of mostly Black and Brown people in NE and SE Portland. They look for people they think might possibly be gang affiliated and then try to interrupt their lives with police intimidation. That's the job.

sometimespdx.bsky.social•14 days ago

Cops narrate their job as building relationships with at-risk people and community policing to interrupt gun violence. That's one way to say it. I question the police's ability to do more than use State violence to build a prison pipeline for Black people and push them out of Portland.

sometimespdx.bsky.social•14 days ago

Here's an article on the troubled (racist and discriminatory) past of the Portland Police gang taskforce. Mayor Wheeler restarted it and Mayor Wilson in February said his budget proposal will keep funding it. https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2016/11/at_least_i_was_on_some_kind_of.html

sometimespdx.bsky.social•14 days ago

And another article on why the PPB stopped compiling a gang list. https://www.opb.org/radio/programs/think-out-loud/article/portland-gang-list-remove-member/

sometimespdx.bsky.social•14 days ago

More articles on the disbanding of former gang taskforces in Portland. https://www.wweek.com/news/2020/06/09/mayor-ted-wheeler-agrees-to-disband-the-portland-police-bureaus-gun-violence-reduction-team/

sometimespdx.bsky.social•14 days ago

It seems like whenever outside entities take a close look at the various renditions of the Portland Police gang taskforces, the city shuts down the taskforce in shame only to restart them under a different name, hoping the general public won't notice or remember. https://www.wweek.com/news/courts/2023/03/21/portland-police-still-lack-gang-labelling-policy-audit-finds/

marcporis.bsky.social•14 days ago

The next meeting of the Focused Intervention Team Community Oversight Group (FITCOG) is tomorrow, March 20, 2025 at 5 pm.

Agenda is not yet available, but should show up here before then.

More people tuning in would be great!

https://www.portland.gov/fitcog/events/2025/3/20/fitcog-public-meeting-march-20-2025

sometimespdx.bsky.social•14 days ago

The FIT officers often show up to these meetings, like all of them standing or sitting around the FITCOG members in full police uniform. It's not a community friendly space.

marcporis.bsky.social•14 days ago

I've only ever tuned in remotely, which is a good way to get an idea of what goes on in those meetings.

The "public" part of the meeting usually seems to last about an hour and then they go to the "confidential briefing" which is only for FITCOG members, police and City staff.

sometimespdx.bsky.social•14 days ago

To be fair, it is a police group so having a bunch of police there is expected. Attendees should be aware that you'll get a lot of dirty looks from the police, and many of the FITCOG members, if you voice any criticism of their project.

marcporis.bsky.social•14 days ago

Right - FITCOG's mission is "to work closely with" PPB and its leadership.

https://www.portland.gov/fitcog/fitcog

marcporis.bsky.social•14 days ago

The part about it not being a community friendly space tracks with what went down at the Town Hall meetings hosted by Councilors Kanal and Morillo recently.

https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2025/03/a-portland-councilor-tangled-with-police-uniformed-cops-descended-on-his-town-hall.html?outputType=amp&foobar

tawasi.bsky.social•14 days ago

it bares mentioning how the sheriffs (who work closely with PPB) allowed a gang to run the a prison here. it's almost as if these armed goons are acting to suppress their gang rivals...

tawasi.bsky.social•14 days ago

there is some reporting on it, but you can imagine how gangs may influence editorial boards in portland...
https://www.wweek.com/news/courts/2024/03/15/jail-deputies-were-also-accused-of-doing-favors-for-gypsy-jokers-motorcycle-gang/

tawasi.bsky.social•14 days ago

vvhite terror groups have long running deep ties to both police and fire bureaus in portland. it took the FBI stepping in to secure arrests ten years ago, and these racist targeted arrests in NE/SE are symptoms of ongoing vvhite terror gangs supported by police.
https://www.splcenter.org/resources/hate-watch/massive-investigation-uncovers-white-supremacist-criminal-network-oregon/

sometimespdx.bsky.social•14 days ago

When the PPB drives around looking for potential "gang members" to pull-over on pretext stops, they're not stopping white guys like these who run guns, explosives, drugs, stolen goods, and collect neo-Nazi memorabilia.

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