Boulder Police Department considering agreement to join FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force
Feb. 2—The Boulder City Council came to Tuesday's meeting with questions about a proposal for the Boulder Police Department to join the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Joint Terrorism Task Force.
According to a staff memo from Tuesday's Boulder City Council meeting, the motion, if approved, would authorize City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde to enter into the JTTF with the FBI to facilitate the sharing of FBI information with the Boulder Police Department to protect the country against terrorism threats to national security.
Public testimony and the City Council's decision happened after the Daily Camera's print deadline. Initially, it was scheduled to be approved on the City Council's consent agenda. However, it was moved to a public hearing at the request of some councilmembers.
According to the FBI's website, its JTTFs "are our nation's front line of defense against terrorism, both international and domestic."
However, the JTTFs are also targets of criticism. Some community members have expressed concerns about transparency and accountability when local officers are on loan, Mayor Pro Tem Rachel Friend noted.
As another example, the Portland Human Rights Commission determined that various reports from the Inspector General's Office demonstrated extensive human and civil rights violations by international and national FBI operations.
The commission requested that Portland consider this when deciding whether to enter into a memorandum of understanding, an agreement similar to the one the Boulder City Council considered Tuesday.
Locally, when the Boulder Police Department would respond as part of the JTTF, it would work under the general oversight and supervision of the FBI, the memo notes. But Boulder officers would continue to adhere to the policies and procedures of their home agency.
The importance of the department's participation in the task force was demonstrated in the Boulder King Soopers shooting, according to Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold. The city would have been "completely overwhelmed" without federal support, she said.
The police department could withdraw with 60 days' notice, according to the agreement. Herold also noted that if ever there were an issue, the FBI would "give her grace" and allow her to pull the task force member immediately.
"And I would," she said.
Councilmember Matt Benjamin first acknowledged the police department's quick work and collaboration Tuesday when the department arrested a man in Boulder who is accused of making mass shooting threats against a university in California.
However, he questioned whether there would be any real differences between the department's current relationship with the FBI and its relationship should an MOU be approved.
In Herold's mind, it's a definite yes. She said the officer on the task force would be given the highest security clearance and additional training.
Among other things, this impacts response time, she said.
"Resources are scarce right now. Time matters. Minutes, not hours," Herold said.
