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Experts and community advocates clash over San Francisco’s ties to FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force
Summary
A civil grand jury report on San Francisco’s nonparticipation in the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force prompted expert testimony and extensive public comment on Oct. 3, 2019, with advocates warning of civil‑rights risks and others arguing the city is safer outside the task force.
Chair Supervisor Gordon Marr convened the Government Audit and Oversight Committee on Oct. 3, 2019, for a hearing on the 2018–2019 Civil Grand Jury report titled “Joint Terrorism Task Force: Balancing Public Safety with Civil Rights.” The hearing included an outside expert, members of the grand jury, and more than a dozen public comments.
Mike German, a Brennan Center fellow and former FBI special agent, told the committee he had provided written testimony to the grand jury and said the jury’s report "does not capture the scope of the concerns I expressed." German warned that post‑9/11 changes to FBI guidelines have reduced the criminal‑predicate protections that once limited intelligence collection and said, "Participation in JTTFs does not reduce the risk of communication breakdown." He urged that counterterrorism practices be subject to…
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