ACLU objects to police memo

By Berny Morson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published August 21, 2008 at 9:43 p.m.
Updated August 21, 2008 at 11:55 p.m.

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American Civil Liberties Union leaders objected Thursday to a Denver Police Department memo asking officers to be on the lookout for stockpiles of items that could be used to

fuel a riot during the Democratic National Convention.

The one-page memo said rioters in other cities have used items such as metal pipes or shields in confrontations with police officers.

Colorado ACLU legal director Mark Silverstein called the memo "unnecessarily provocative."

"It has the potential to get police officers all amped up and looking for a confrontation at a time when what we need is cool heads and restraint," he said.

Silverstein said the ACLU has no indication that officers have entered private property in search of suspect items.

Police spokesman Sonny Jackson said the department is being prudent at a time when large numbers of protesters are expected.

"We would be remiss if we did not take measures to protect the public," he said.

Officers expect protesters will follow the law, but a few individuals might not, Jackson said.

Under a 2003 agreement, the Denver Police Department said it would stop keeping files on people with controversial political views. Officers were not to gather data on people without a "reasonable suspicion of criminal activity," Silverstein said.

That agreement expired in May, however, and Silverstein fears the memo may mean the resumption of surveillance.

That is not the intent, Jackson said.

The memo only asks officers to be aware of items that might be used in riots, not to take any specific actions, Jackson noted.

"It just says be on the lookout, be aware. That's all it does," he said.

Sarah Bardwell, who lives in central Denver, said a police officer asked her on Friday why she was taking delivery of bricks.

Bardwell, who spoke at an ACLU press conference, said she explained that she was repairing her home, and the officer left.

The memo asks officers to look for items such as helmets or gas masks and stockpiles of nails.

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