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Council Unanimously Passes Civil Rights Resolution
Measure affirms City's Police Intelligence Ordinance
and denounces erosion of
rights under USA Patriot Act
SEATTLE - The Seattle City Council today unanimously passed a resolution
affirming the City's commitment to protecting the civil rights and civil
liberties of all residents. The resolution states the Council's opposition to
measures, particularly portions of the federal "USA Patriot Act," that
infringe upon civil rights and liberties, or single out for scrutiny people
based solely on their country of origin, religion, ethnicity or immigration
status.
"In this time of heightened terrorist alerts and uncertainty of war, we
must be especially vigilant in respecting the civil rights of all our
residents-particularly our Muslim and southeast Asian immigrant
communities," said Councilmember Heidi Wills, resolution co-sponsor, along
with Councilmembers Jim Compton, Nick Licata and Peter Steinbreuck. "Our
freedoms and hard-fought civil rights protections are the very values we are
seeking to defend," she said.
The Council resolution affirms support for the Police Intelligence Ordinance,
passed in 1979 to prohibit Seattle Police from collecting information on
constitutionally protected activities of residents who are not suspected of
criminal activity.
The resolution also requests all Seattle departments with public facilities
to post copies of the Bill of Rights in prominent locations, and urges the
Seattle Public Library to post signs advising visitors that the USA Patriot Act
may compel the library to provide records of books and other materials checked
out by individuals to federal agents under a court order.
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City
Council
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