Bill of Rights Defense Campaign

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Working with communities to uphold the Bill of Rights
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FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF)

How can I find out if an officer in my area participates in a JTTF?

The concept that the police must be accountable to local oversight was paramount in Portland, Oregon’s withdrawal from the JTTF. Answering public concerns, the city council demanded that the FBI provide the mayor and City Attorney the same security clearances held by the officers on the JTTF. When they could not reach an agreement, the mayor and city council voted to withdraw from the JTTF. It took five years of meetings, letters, and protest by local residents to reach that point. What can you do?

  • Call your local police department and ask. Some local departments publicize their participation on their websites.
  • If police cannot or will not tell you, contact your local city council or board of selectmen or whoever determines the budget for your local department.
  • Prepare your questions in advance. The police are more likely to be cooperative if you are courteous and non-confrontational. This does not mean you should take “no” or “I don’t know” as your final answer.
      Sample questions:
      1. Does the local police department participate in a Joint Terrorism Task Force? (Local departments may participate in other task forces, but this is the only one run by the FBI.)
      2. If it does participate, who is the local officer?
      3. What investigations are ongoing?
      4. How does the JTTF officer report case status to the local department?
      5. Does the officer’s local superior have a comparable security clearance?
      6. Does funding for the officer come from the local budget or from federal grants?
      7. May I see the agreement between the department and the FBI?
  • If you are denied access to the agreement, file a public record request under your local statute.
  • If the local government refuses your request, file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the FBI. This may be a last resort since the Department of Justice takes a long time to respond to and fulfill these requests. Sometimes what you receive is incomplete or heavily redacted.

Other Resources

FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) FAQ: COINTELPRO Redux
Examples of JTTF Activities
JTTF Locations by State
FBI Field Offices by State
More JTTF Resources and Links