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Preparing for the worst: The coming Heffelfinger/Luger report on RNC policing
Due on December 15th, most observers assume a frustrating result


LET THE RNC '08 REPORT ARCHIVE YOUR SUBMISSION TO THE RNC PUBLIC REVIEW SAFETY COMMISSION!

The RNC '08 Report is interested in archiving any material submitted to the RNC Public Review Safety Commission.

Contact the RNC '08 Report here.


Just a few days after the RNC dust settled, it was announced that the City of St. Paul hired former U.S. Attorney Tom Heffelfinger and former assistant U.S. Attorney Andy Luger to review police plans and how they were carried out during the Republican National Convention.

What became immediately clear was that the independent review would not be a fact-finding mission to explore allegations of police wrongdoing or violations of people's rights but a look at the City's security plan, how it was implemented, and whether it reflected what Heffelfinger described as "best practices" (Star Tribune, September 9th, 2008)

At a "Community Conversation about the RNC" held later in the month on September 24th, and organized by St. Paul City Council member Dave Thune, the depth of frustration of local residents and business people was obvious. Heffelfinger and Luger were present.

The two later held a public hearing on November 6th, where people were given 3 minutes to tell their RNC stories. E-mail submissions were also possible, although neither channel was widely advertised. The deadline for the RNC Public Review Safety Commission's report to be made public is December 15th.

In the lead-up to the release of the report, the contents of which most observers assume will be very frustrating to anyone who has been watching the effects and aftermath of the RNC on the local community, I am posting my submission to the Commission. I have had the opportunity to read one other lengthy submission by a local independent journalist.

Whatever the Heffelfinger/Luger report looks like, know at least that many of the submissions to the Commission pulled no punches. One of the requests that we should make is that the submissions themselves are made public, so residents of the Twin Cities have full access to the opinions of their fellow residents as opposed to a filtered report by a Commission with an inadequate mandate.

Related Links
  • Submission to the RNC Public Review Safety Commission, Nigel Parry, RNC 08 Report (November 17th, 2008)

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    BOSTROM, Matt (Assistant Police Chief of St. Paul), CHOI, John (St. Paul City Attorney), COLEMAN, Christopher B. (St. Paul Mayor), DARBY, Brandon (A.K.A. "CHS 1", paid informant who infiltrated Austin protesters), DARST, Andrew (A.K.A. "Panda", "CRI 2", paid informant who infiltrated RNC Welcoming Committee), DEPALMA, Matthew (Michigan Molotov Case), DOLAN, Tim (Minneapolis Police Chief), FLETCHER, Bob (Ramsey County Sheriff), GAERTNER, Susan (Ramsey County Attorney), GOODMAN, Amy (Democracy Now, arrested Sept 1st), GROSS, Michelle (Communities United Against Police Brutality), HARRINGTON, John (St. Paul Police Chief), HEFFELFINGER, Tom (Former U.S. Attorney) and LUGER, Andy (former Assistant U.S. Attorney), HUGHES, Elliot (alleged torture under Ramsey County Sheriff's care), JOHNSON, Jason (Tased in Mears Park on Day 2), KELLY, Mick (Banner carrier shot with projectile at point blank on Day 4/Arrested for distributing leaflets about RNC march at Obama rally), LANE, Leah (abusive arrest on Day 4 captured on CNN and Fox 9), LUBINSKI, Sharon (Assistant Police Chief of Minneapolis), MAHONEY, Dave (Accused of dropping sandbag onto I-94 freeway on Day 1), MULHOLLAND, Ann (St. Paul Deputy Mayor), NESTOR, Bruce (President of National Lawyers Guild, Minnesota Chapter), PAWLENTY, Tim (Governor of Minnesota), ROWLEY, Coleen (retired FBI 9/11 whistle-blower and peace activist), "RNC 8" Arrestees (Monica BICKING, Robert CZERNIK, Garrett FITZGERALD, Luce Guillen GIVINS, Erik OSELAND, Nathanael SECOR, Max SPECTOR, and Eryn TRIMMER), RYBACK, R.T. (Minneapolis Mayor), SMITH, Keith (17-year-old protester allegedly beaten by police on Day 1), SULLIVAN, Karen (Undercover FBI agent who infiltrated the Anti-War Committee), SUNDIN, Jess (March on the RNC organizer, Anti-War Committee), "TEXAS TWO" Arrestees (Bradley Neal CROWDER and David MCKAY), THUNE, Dave (Ward 2 Council Member for St. Paul)

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