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Council Member Stevens addresses racial disparities in policing and questions the NYPD gang database
1:17:30
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3 min
Council Member Althea V. Stevens delivers powerful remarks addressing racial disparities in policing practices, particularly focusing on the NYPD's gang database. She emphasizes the need for accountability and reform within the NYPD, highlighting the disproportionate impact on communities of color. Stevens also questions the effectiveness and fairness of the gang database, seeking information about its contents and removal processes.
- Stevens strongly criticizes the racial makeup of the gang database, noting it's 99% people of color
- She inquires about the process for individuals to be removed from the database and the age range of those included
- The discussion touches on similar databases in other cities, with examples of Portland and Chicago eliminating theirs without significant impact on crime rates
Althea V. Stevens
1:17:30
just gonna start off by saying this.
1:17:32
Everybody wants to be safe.
1:17:34
And this idea that just because we are focusing on a group of people that has historically and disproportionately been affected by the brutality of NYPD.
1:17:45
We are here trying to right the wrongs and set the balance straight.
1:17:48
I wanna be safe.
1:17:50
I am not the enemy of NYPD.
1:17:52
I'm not the enemy of, of republicans.
1:17:54
We are all here.
1:17:55
But let's be clear, if we wanna talk about race then why do we have a database that has 99% people of color on it and no one else?
1:18:03
So the question isn't to ask us if we're racist, the question is to ask is the practices that NYPD are putting into place racist.
1:18:09
And that's where we need to start and that's where that's why we are focusing on this.
1:18:13
So it is unacceptable for us to be in here and act victims if they're racist.
1:18:19
So I I have to say that because it's unacceptable.
1:18:24
I worked with kids for 20 years who have been terrorized and what I say to NYPD all the time, we need to fix the right and fix the trauma that they've caused in our community before we can do anything else.
1:18:35
They're not our enemies.
1:18:36
So a young person does not wanna play basketball with you if you have not, addressed the traumas that when they come out the community center, you're going to kick their ass.
1:18:44
And it happens all the time in my community and I'm sick of it.
1:18:47
And so we do will not sit in this chambers today and victimize people who are consistently victimized.
1:18:55
So I'm gonna start there.
1:18:58
But I do have a question about the database because again it's 99% Black and Latinos which is a problem for me because it's to me baseline racist, we're done, let's move on.
1:19:09
But we keep getting pushed back.
1:19:11
Babe, can you tell us how many young people or if you know how many young people have been foiled to find out if they were on the database?
1:19:17
Do you have that information?
Babe Howell
1:19:19
I don't.
1:19:20
I'm pretty sure there's somebody from legal aid who could answer.
1:19:23
I know it's more than five 100.
Samy Feliz
1:19:25
But do
Althea V. Stevens
1:19:25
you know how a young person or a person who's on a database, do you know how they would get off the database?
Babe Howell
1:19:30
There there is no way to get off the database.
1:19:33
There's no way to appeal.
1:19:35
They can be reviewed at age, 23 and 28.
1:19:39
They're supposed to be reviewed every 3 years.
1:19:41
Those reviews are happening late, and only one person is looking at them.
1:19:45
There is no input from the individual to get themselves off the database.
1:19:50
And by the way, they do enter people as young as 11 and 13, but up to age 70 as well.
Althea V. Stevens
1:19:57
And just real quick, has there been other database like this across the country?
1:20:01
And if so, were they eliminated?
1:20:03
Do you know the status of those?
1:20:04
And then I'm I'm done.
Babe Howell
1:20:07
Yes.
1:20:07
These types of gang databases are very common, and what they have in common is, a, they often rely on entirely noncriminal criteria as the New York City one does, and that they they are typically wildly and disproportionately black and Latinx or nonwhite people of color.
1:20:30
Portland and Chicago have eliminated eliminated their gang database.
1:20:34
LDF just has a report out saying that that had no effect on crime rates before and after.
1:20:42
No statistically significant effect.
1:20:46
LA is also backing off of their gang database, and we're hopeful that those databases will be changed.
1:20:53
So London also had a gangs matrix, also included people based on no criminality.
1:21:00
They reformed it somewhat, but this is a push that we should show leadership in.
1:21:05
There is no reason for the NYPD or any other police department to keep data on people based on no criminal activity.
1:21:16
There's no reason for that.
1:21:19
So I'd like us to we we won't be number 1.
1:21:22
Portland wins and then Chicago, but I I think we'd be the biggest shining example when we eliminate this database.