Portland, Ore., Police Refuse to Cooperate With Federal Questioning

Fox News | 11/21/01

[Psalm 73]

What the heck is up with Oregon, and why are they breaking Ashcrofts stones, yet again? First the euthenasia thing, now this...
(BTW - I hardly ever post articles, don't kill me if I've missed something).

[PeoplesRepublicOfWashington]

Oregonians are mindless liberals.

[Psalm 73]

"Oregonians have guts?"

OK, say it is December 1941, and the Justice Dept. asks west-coast cities to interview people of Japanese origin.
You are being patriotic by saying NO? I don't know if it's guts, but it IS a lot of something.

[Technocrat]

Oregonians are too stupid to be allowed to fill up their own cars with gas. (It's true! State law. 1997 eyewitness. Their roads aren't worth driving on, either. How do you know you've gone from Nevada to Oregon? The whiplash.)

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

No- I lived in Oregon for a time- it's basically full of burned-out hippies and New-Age morons, and more are moving there all the time (principally, from California).

This lack of cooperation will look very wise and brave, until there is a terrorist attack in Portland! Then the finger-pointing will begin in earnest...

[litany_of_lies]

Maybe because Ashcroft is overstepping his bounds and Oregonians have guts?

Since when do the police need to suspect you of a crime to be able to "interview" you? Extending that logic fully would prevent them from being able to talk to anyone, at any time, about anything, unless there is a suspicion of criminal involvement. There is no substantive difference between just talking to someone and "interviewing" them.

Point 2: Police can interview people if they believe that person has mere KNOWLEDGE of crimes, not active involvement.

And finally, suspicion of offenses relating to "immigration or citizenship" ARE crimes, and are justification enough ON THEIR OWN for "interviews" to take place.

[74dodgedart]

Its states rights verse the federal gov't. Most conservatives rallied around "returning power to the states".

[74dodgedart]

Since when do the police need to suspect you of a crime to be able to "interview" you?

From the article:
Acting Police Chief Andrew Kirkland said Tuesday the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Portland asked for city police cooperation last week. He said police denied the request, citing an Oregon law that says no one can be questioned by police unless they are suspected of being involved in a crime.

[74dodgedart]

OK, say it is December 1941, and the Justice Dept. asks west-coast cities to interview people of Japanese origin.

Actually, what they did was round them up and out them in iternment camps even though many of them had done nothing wrong.

Personally, I support Oregon in upholding there state laws.

[litany_of_lies]

My point is that the police chief is absolutely and completely full of crap when he says you can only "interview" people suspected of a crime.

You have to at least acknowledge that the police can "interview" people who can reasonably expected to have "knowledge" of a crime, even if they have no involvement.

You also have to acknowledge that immigration and citizenship violations ARE crimes. So the chief's position is indefensible even by his own BS standard.

[vmatt]

Its states rights verse the federal gov't. Most conservatives rallied around "returning power to the states".

LOL, welcome to the FreeRepublican forum. Guess who will win this one? Imagine the screeches if Reno tried to pull this off. Still LOL!

[74dodgedart]

You have to at least acknowledge that the police can "interview" people who can reasonably expected to have "knowledge" of a crime, even if they have no involvement.

Thats exactly what the article says, try rereading for comprehension. Just being arabic doesn't mean you are involved in a crime or have knowledge of a crime.

I'm not sure if th local police have jurisdiction in immigration affairs.

[Crispy]

Why do you say that Oregonians are idiots? Isn't that stereotyping just a bit too much? You obviously have not been to Oregon. The roads are just as good as anywhere else I have been, including Nevada.

It is true that our Portland politicians and city workers have their heads up their asses though.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Time to put Portlenin on the target list.

[aught-6]

"The law says, generally, we can interview people that we may suspect have committed a crime," Kirkland said. "But the law does not allow us to go out and arbitrarily interview people whose only offense is immigration or citizenship..."

He's a little vague, but is this guy saying that ILLEGAL immigration is NOT a crime?

[max61]

It is true that our Portland politicians and city workers have their heads up their asses though.

This is a universal truth (government work), it is not only limited to Portland.

---max

[Psalm 73]

"Its states rights verse the federal gov't."

But isn't the primary purpose of the Federal Gov. to provide for a common defense?
What if Oregon decides it does not want any military bases on it's soil? Should that be left up to the ststes? Of course not.
We are talking national security here.