As stated above, the definitive intelligence report was disseminated three weeks prior to the WTO opening ceremonies. Long before that time, SPD had exhausted its staffing capacity and had no further resources to deploy. Consequently, the response to the intelligence report was limited to a reassessment of deployment plans, and reassignment of resources to bolster the demonstrations management component. The Investigations Ordinance, SMC 14.12, prohibits the collection of political or religious information for law enforcement purposes unless there is a threat of criminal activity with an immediate nexus to the City of Seattle. Authorization to collect information may be obtained on a showing of reasonable suspicion that the subject of the restricted information has engaged in, is engaging in, or about to engage in unlawful activity in Seattle.
Any information collected under the authorization is required to be reviewed by a civilian auditor.
Penalty for violating the ordinance includes substantial monetary fines and mandates. Also, the information collection may be shared with the investigated entity. Consequently, if the department does not have an authorization to collect the information, an investigation may not ensue. The SPD Criminal Intelligence Section contributed little hard intelligence because of our inability to investigate any of the individuals or groups that ultimately did the most damage. This was due to the fact that these groups were politically motivated and consequently enjoyed the full protection of the ordinance.