Policy Order O-20

WHEREAS: It has come to the attention of the City Council that the Cambridge Chronicle recently reported on a trip to Israel of sixteen law enforcement officials which included public officials from Cambridge; and

WHEREAS: This is the second trip of this nature; and

WHEREAS: When asked about the first trip to Israel at a Civic Unity Committee hearing on January 22, 2009, Police Commissioner Haas said that "...the trip was sponsored by the American Defamation league.  It was interesting, but in the end, not particularly useful.  The Israel government does a number of things that he would never do in this country;" and

WHEREAS: This trip was designed to observe Israel's "counter-terrorism strategies and tactics;" and

WHEREAS: This trip was funded by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL); and

WHEREAS: The City Council was not informed of the trip, nor offered a briefing; and

WHEREAS: A local businessman sponsored a follow-up "law enforcement summit"; and

WHEREAS: The role of public officials in Cambridge is to be guided by the oversight of local values and practices determined by Cambridge citizens and elected officials; now therefore be it

ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to seek information and to report to the City Council as to the nature of this and the previous delegation, including the funding for the delegation, the authorization and the relationship of the delegates and city officials to the funding agencies, the rationale for the trip and the substance of it, the role of private business in public policy, and whether any part of this trip was undertaken on public time.