City of Asheville Staff Emails: Occupy Asheville

From: Wade Wood

Subject: Re: Occupy Asheville

Date: 2011-10-20 12:44:09

To:

Jeff
We have not had any other enforcement actions beyond what we discussed
this AM.

Let me know if you need further for the report.

Sent from my iPhone

On Oct 20, 2011, at 12:13 PM, "Captain Daryl Fisher"
wrote:



Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Patrol Captain Jeff Estes has
contacted me ref an e-mail request he received from our CM Office.
Captain Estes contacted me to relay their response. Here is what
Charlotte is doing:

Charlotte has areas within the City they call Public Forum
Space. These spaces are NOT City Parks but are spaces owned by the
City. Most are parking lots or paved areas but there is a a grassy area
where the old City Hall once stood. This area is in front of the
current Police Headquarters. These Public Forum Spaces can be utilized
by ANY group and are not designated for one group's use specifically.
This way, the City of Charlotte can remain neutral and any group can
exercise their 1st Amendment rights and the City does not facilitate
assistance or any involvement. There are no time constraints on
occupying these properties.

No semi-permanent structures are allowed on these properties.
Porta-Johns are considered semi-permanent structures. Tents not
connected to one another or not connected to any structure are NOT
considered semi-permanent structures. Public Health is a concern.
Anyone caught urinating or defecating on the property will be asked to
leave and not return. If the person does not leave, they will be
escorted off the property.

The City of Charlotte does not require a permit for a gathering
of 50 persons or less. The permit process is not strict as long as any
group notifies the police of their scheduled activities. The police
work with any group to make sure public safety is assured.

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department has designated at
least 2 officers 24/7 to monitor this group's activities. The police do
not interfere or take any action unless to quell a breach of the peace.
One supervisor is designated to gather intelligence from the
department's intelligence unit (this unit is in place for City wide
activities and not just for this group), the officers on site, or any
intelligence that involves the group as well as compile daily written
briefings to the Patrol Captain and them disseminated to Staff who need
to know. The City of Charlotte also funnels information through only
one source so that any communication being disseminated by the City
comes from this one source.

Captain Estes does tell me they are having similar issues as we
are with persons or groups trying to escalate the occupation to include
vandalism and related criminal violations. Captain Estes believes this
activity may increase police encounters.

What Charlotte PD is doing is what we at APD are in the
beginning stages of doing. I do not know if we have the staffing
available to assign officers full time to monitor this group but we
could through Augment overtime coupled with on duty personnel. I would
not want to spread our current staffing too thin. Sgt. Jonathan Brown
will be out supervisor assigned to funnel intelligence through. We will
also be using on duty folks in a plain clothes capacity to conduct
intelligence gathering.

Thanks!!
Captain Daryl Fisher, MPA
Patrol Operations Division Commander
City of Asheville Police Department
AOMP 23
FBI NA 231

Phone: 828-259-5994
E-mail: dfisher@ashevillenc.gov

Mailing Address:
PO Box 7148
Asheville, NC 28802

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