The ACLU of Oregon and its legal partners, Alicia LeDuc Montgomery, and Bradley Bernstein Sands, filed to sue the Medford Police Department (MPD) on behalf of the Rogue Valley Pepper Shakers, Stabbin' Wagon, and a progressive political activist who all have worked to provide mutual aid to neighbors in need.
A public records request revealed that for years, Medford Police violated Oregon law by collecting and storing information on people and groups without reasonable suspicion of criminal activity — including information on our clients.
The MPD’s practice of keeping tabs on social justice groups’ political and social activities is an egregious violation of Oregon law.
Oregon State law (ORS 181A.250), prohibits police from collecting or maintaining information about the political, religious, or social views, and associations or activities of people who are not reasonably suspected of criminal activity.
This law is an important protection against police abuses, yet the MPD has publicly declared that they intend to continue their monitoring practices — leaving Oregonians engaged in protected First Amendment activities wrongly subject to surveillance.
We are taking the Medford Police to court to put an end to their unlawful monitoring of our clients based on who they are and what they care about, not anything related to crime.
