Pubdate: Tue, 12 Mar 2002 Source: Gazette, The (CO) Contact: 2002 The Gazette Website: http://www.gazette.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/165 Author: Barry Bortnick Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/raids.htm (Drug Raids) DENVER COPS KEEP 'SECRET FILES' ACLU Says Department Maintains Close Watch On Rights Groups DENVER - The American Civil Liberties Union on Monday accused the Denver Police Department of maintaining "secret files" on several metro-area peace and civil rights groups. Those allegedly targeted include the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization; the Chiapas Coalition, which supports human rights in Mexico; and the Justice for Mena Committee, a local group formed after Denver police killed a Mexican national during a controversial "no-knock" raid in 1999. ACLU officials said police documents show authorities unfairly labeled some of these groups as "criminal extremists." The ACLU based the accusations on internal police documents the organization released Monday. The documents included physical descriptions, addresses and the protest history of some activists. "The few pages of documents we have obtained so far provide an alarming glimpse of the kinds of information the Denver Police Department is recording and the kinds of peaceful protest activity it is monitoring inappropriately," said Mark Silverstein, ACLU's Legal Director in Denver. Silverstein declined to say how the ACLU got the police documents. He could not say how long police maintained the files, how many people were under police watch or why authorities monitored the groups. Denver police officials plan to review the ACLU's documents with the city attorney's office. Denver officials say local police do not hinder anyone's free speech. "Police protect the right of the far right and the far left to safely assemble and freely express their opinion," said C.L. Harmer, a spokesman for Denver's Department of Safety. "It is not their intent to dampen free speech or lawful political activity." Some of the police surveillance documentation went back two years. Silverstein said the police activity had nothing to do with anti- terrorist measures enacted in light of Sept. 11. Nor is there any hint "that these files record facts connected to criminal activity," Silverstein said. Stephen Nash, a member of the End the Politics of Cruelty, a human rights group with about a dozen members, was among those monitored by police, according to files released Monday. The names of other activists allegedly listed in the secret documents were not released to protect their privacy, Silverstein said. Nash's file included his age, his physical appearance, his driver's license number and the type of car he owns. The documents stated Nash was seen at various civil rights events, including an Amnesty International demonstration in February 2000 and a Justice for Mena Committee event in March of 2000. Nash, a journeyman glazier, said participation in civil rights events is "a civic duty." In addition to his work with End the Politics of Cruelty, a group formed to hold local police accountable for their actions, Nash has helped organize events for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. He said the files show Denver police are "investigating people who have the facts on them and have exposed unpleasant truths about them. ... Now you have to ask, who is next?" The ACLU has asked Denver Mayor Wellington Webb to stop the monitoring, make the documents available to their subjects and have police disclose whether any other law enforcement agencies have received the information. The ACLU also wants the documents preserved in case a lawsuit is filed against the city. Webb's spokesman, Andrew Hudson, said the mayor has asked police for a complete report on the issue. "He wants to know why the files were created and what the intelligence was used for," Hudson said. "It is pretty common to see this in FBI files, but he wants to know why the police did this and if they have legitimate reasons." - --- MAP posted-by: Josh