WHEREAS, in response to the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the United States Congress passed the USA PATRIOT Act (Public Law 107-56: the "Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act") which was signed into law by the President on October 26, 2001; and

WHEREAS, many residents of Bangor  and other communities across the nation are concerned that the USA PATRIOT Act threatens our civil liberties by:

• greatly expanding the Government's ability to conduct secret searches (Section 213); (Violation of the 4th Amendment)
• giving law enforcement officials broad access to sensitive medical, mental health, library, business, financial, educational, and other records about individuals without first showing probable cause or evidence of a crime (Section 215); (Violation of the 4th Amendment)
• all but eliminating judicial supervision of telephone and Internet surveillance (Section 216); (Violation of the 1st and 4th Amendments)
• authorizing the CIA to spy on American citizens (Sections 203 and 901); (Violation of the 4th Amendment)
• granting unchecked power to the Attorney General and the Secretary of State to designate domestic groups as "terrorist organizations" (Section 411); (Violation of the 1st Amendment)
• allowing the Attorney General to subject non-citizens to indefinite detention or deportation even if they have not committed a crime (Sections 411 and 412); (Violation of the 5th, 6th, and 14th Amendments)

WHEREAS, the City of Bangor is committed to protecting and upholding the civil rights of all persons in Bangor as expressed in the United States and Maine State Constitutions,

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Bangor affirms the civil rights granted to all its residents -- U.S. citizens and citizens of other nations alike -- in accordance with the Bill of Rights and Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council of Bangor encourages the Bangor Police Department to continue its policy of:

• respecting and protecting freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and privacy;
• recognizing the right to counsel and due process in judicial proceedings;
• not engaging in  unreasonable searches and seizures; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council of Bangor  requests that Maine's Congressional Delegation monitor the implementation of the USA PATRIOT Act and the associated orders and rules of the Executive Branch and actively work for the repeal of those portions of the Act and those orders and rules that violate the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Clerk communicate this resolution to Maine's Congressional Delegation, the Governor and Attorney General of Maine, Bangor's Police Chief, the local U.S. Attorney's Office, the local office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Chief of the Maine State Police.