Q&A
Council Member Ayala questions Babe Howell about NYPD's gang database practices
0:57:41
·
4 min
Council Member Diana I. Ayala engages in a Q&A session with Babe Howell about the NYPD's gang database, focusing on how individuals are added to the database and the number of people currently listed. Howell explains the criteria for inclusion, highlighting concerns about the database's impact on young people and potential constitutional issues.
- Howell outlines three main ways individuals can be added to the gang database: self-admission (including social media interpretation), two independent sources, and meeting multiple criteria such as location and association.
- The discussion reveals that individuals as young as 13 can be added to the database without their knowledge or notification.
- According to the most recent OIG report, there are between 16,000 and 17,000 individuals in the gang database.
Diana I. Ayala
0:57:41
Thank you.
0:57:42
First and foremost, I wanted to, direct comment at Sammy, Feliz.
0:57:50
I just wanna say that I'm happy to see you to see you here today, and that I join you and your family in calling for accountability from the NYPD and firing lieutenant Jonathan Rivera.
0:58:03
It's been a long time, and I think that the NYPD has an opportunity here to do the right thing and to regain the trust of the individuals that they, serve every single day.
0:58:14
Miss Howell, could you tell us a little bit more about how an individual ends up, especially I mean, you mentioned that there were, young kids as young as 13 on on the gang database.
0:58:28
Is is the only way to get on what is the way to get on the the gang database?
0:58:33
I I I heard that you mention you referenced, you know, pictures and some social media.
0:58:38
Is DNA also a part of that factor?
Babe Howell
0:58:45
DNA is not used to the best of my knowledge.
0:58:47
There are 3 ways of ending up on the gang database.
0:58:50
1 is self admission, but the NYPD will interpret a a social media posting with a emoji or free so and so or rest in peace so and so as self admission, to admitting in to being in a gang so they interpret social media posts.
0:59:11
That is one and probably the most common way to end up on the gang database.
0:59:17
The NYPD has a smart unit social media analysis and research team or something that spends their time looking at young people and many people of color's social media.
0:59:31
A second way is through 2 independent sources, although the independent sources are almost all NYPD, the precinct, intel, the school safety officers.
0:59:46
So, in the OIG's report says that of the of the case of the people who are certified based on 2 sources, 27% actually did not have 2 sources listed.
0:59:59
9 percent had 0 sources listed.
1:00:02
The most common way is 2 or more of the, other criteria seen in a known gang location, which, as I said, could be your whole precinct, your NYCHA property, your home address, seen with known gang associates, if they've labeled your friends gang members, that could be one of the the criteria.
1:00:23
As he as, was mentioned, tattoos, clothing, color.
1:00:29
So appearance, association, and expression, there's not a single criteria that involves being convicted of anything.
1:00:37
So many people end up on the gang databases based on social media, but others can be.
1:00:43
It incentivizes to stop too.
1:00:45
I see 3 kids hanging around, I've already identified one of them as gang member, I could put the other 2 in, they're in a known gang location, like the basketball court near their home, and they're with a known gang member.
1:00:59
Boom, boom.
1:01:00
You can put a 13 year old on the gang database.
1:01:03
There's no review.
1:01:04
You know, this is the end run around the 4th Amendment and the Floyd and equal protection.
1:01:10
They're collecting information without necessarily trying to put it in to court, but when they talk to a DA and say this person is gang involved, that means the DA is looking to move them to adult court or deny youthful offender or wrap them up in a bigger case.
1:01:28
So you could get on without knowing it either.
1:01:31
You won't be notified.
Diana I. Ayala
1:01:32
Yeah.
1:01:33
I just one follow-up.
1:01:34
Do you know what the number is of individuals on the database to date?
Babe Howell
1:01:39
According to the OIG's report, which is the last number we had, I think it was 16,700, someplace between 1617,000.
1:01:48
And I foiled that several times, which is the only way we've ever known what the numbers are until this OIG report, April of 2023.
1:01:57
Perfect.
1:01:57
Thank you.
