Title
Dept/ Agency: Offices of Municipal Council/City Clerk
Action: ( ) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Declaring Intent
Purpose: Call for an investigation of any and all government and law enforcement personnel with regard to the intelligence gathering activities of the New York Police Department and the Newark Police Department throughout the Muslim community
Additional Information:
Sponsor: Sharif
body
WHEREAS, according to the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, there shall be no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion; that the government shall not excessively involve itself in religion; that the government shall not favor one religion over another; and
WHEREAS, according to the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside; and
WHEREAS, the United States Constitution further provides that no State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of the United States; nor deny any person within its jurisdiction the Equal Protection of the laws; and
WHEREAS, it has been openly acknowledged and verified that the New York Police Department (NYPD) and the Newark Police Department (NPD) conducted surveillance and cataloging activities of Muslim-American citizens in schools, businesses and places of worship throughout the City of Newark, in the County of Essex, the State of New Jersey and beyond; and
WHEREAS, the use of ethnic, racial and religious profiling based solely on ethnic and religious affiliations is an assault upon the constitutional rights and liberties of every American; and
WHEREAS, the integrity of local, state and federal government and their respective law enforcement agencies, and the Muslim population within and without the State of New Jersey, are all at stake; and
WHEREAS, this matter requires no less than an immediate and thorough full scale investigation at all levels of government and law enforcement.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, THAT:
1. The Council does hereby call upon the Mayor of the City of Newark, the Governor of the State of New Jersey, the Attorney General for the State of New Jersey and the Attorney General of the United States to diligently pursue a thorough investigation of any and all government and law enforcement personnel with regard to the intelligence gathering activities of the New York Police Department and the Newark Police Department throughout the Muslim community.
2. The Newark Municipal Council and representative leadership of the Muslim community be regularly apprised of the ongoing progress of said investigation and a report of the findings be made promptly available to the Newark Municipal Council and to the community- at- large.
STATEMENT
This Resolution calls for an investigation of any and all government and law enforcement personnel with regard to the intelligence gathering activities of the New York Police Department and the Newark Police Department throughout the Muslim community