Community Resolution for Dennis, MA

ANNUAL TOWN MEETING
MAY 4,2004

ARTICLE 24. To see if the Town will vote to approve the following non-binding resolution:

Whereas, the Town of Dennis, motivated by the commitment to uphold the human rights of all persons in Dennis and the frer exercise and enjoyment of any and all rights and privileges secured by our constitutions and laws of the United States, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Town of Dennis, and

Whereas, several acts and orders recently enacted at the Federal Level, including sections of the USA PATRIOT Act and several Executive Orders, now threaten these fundamental rights and liberties: Freedom of speech, religion, assembly and privacy; The rights to counsel and due process in judicial proceedings; and Protection from unreasonable searches and seizures; All guaranteed by the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the United States Constitution and its Bill of Rights;

Therefore, we the Citizens of the Town of Dennis, Massachusetts, acting in the spirit and history of our community, do hereby request that:

1. Local law enforcement continue to preserve residents’ freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and privacy; rights to counsel and due process in judicial proceedings; and protection from unreasonable searches and seizures even if requested or authorized to infringe upon these rights by federal law enforcement acting under new powers granted by the USA PATRIOT Act or orders of the Executive Branch;
2. Federal and state law enforcement officials acting within the Town work in accordance with the policies of the Dennis Police Department, and in cooperation with the Department, by not engaging in or permitting detentions without charges or racial profiling in law enforcement;
3.The U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Massachusetts State Police report to the Town of Dennis regularly and publicly the extent to and manner in which they have acted under the USA PATRIOT Act, new Executive Orders, or COINTELPRO-type regulations, including disclosing the names of any detainees held in eastern Massachusetts or any Dennis residents detained elsewhere;
4. Our United States Congressman and Senators monitor the implementation of the Act and Orders cited herein and actively work for the repeal of the parts of that Act and those Orders that
violate fundamental rights and liberties as stated in the Constitution of the Commonwealth and the United States.

MOTION. On motion of Petitioner, James Demetras, duly seconded, it was voted 167 yes and 13 not to accept the article exactly as printed in the warrant.
A True Copy, Attest:
I / 9791I
Jacquelyn K. Souza, Dennis Town Clerk