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REMARKS

Lack of oversight and problematic criteria for gang database inclusion

0:55:25

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133 sec

Kezilar Cornish from Community United for Police Reform discusses the lack of oversight and problematic criteria used for including individuals in the gang database. The remarks highlight the arbitrary nature of the criteria and the need for external oversight.

Cornish points out that something as simple as having a tattoo or making a peace sign in a photo can lead to inclusion in the gang database.
The speaker emphasizes that police units specializing in gang identification often create their own listings of 'gang-related' items without proper oversight.
The discussion reveals a lack of involvement from reformed gang members or community members in verifying or providing context for alleged gang signs or behaviors.
Cornish advocates for the involvement of citizens outside the police department in these special units to provide common sense oversight and prevent ridiculous misclassifications.

Kezilar Cornish

0:55:25

May I may I

Babe Howell

0:55:25

speak to that?

0:55:27

Go for it.

Kezilar Cornish

0:55:27

Okay.

0:55:29

So what we found in the community is that, you can get in a gang database if you just have a tattoo.

0:55:44

And we've also found that many of the people who are on the policing special units that are supposed to be gang specialists, they create a whole listing of things that are supposedly gang related that are not.

0:56:02

And because there's no oversight, they get to say whatever they want to say.

0:56:07

And so they may have inside the listing, when you throw up a peace sign or a deuce's sign, you're a gang member, even if they get a picture of you with that.

0:56:20

Now your mother may be 84 years old and she's doing a peace sign with all of her grandchildren and she will be labeled as a gang member in some way, shape, or form Because this is the culture and this is what's being done, but there is no oversight.

0:56:34

Now we do also understand that there are gang members who have reformed themselves and changed their lives, and they're doing really good things in terms of education, producing jobs and just being productive citizens.

0:56:48

But they're not utilizing any of them so that they can actually, verify and say whether or not this is what this is and this is what this, you know, what is not so that they can make a real determination as to whether or not these are gang members or these are gang signs or any of those sorts of things.

0:57:07

And, many of them are just, basic things that we do when we take pictures, you know, as the lady said.

0:57:13

So, you know, I think a little bit of common sense and oversight from entities outside of the police department, there should be some citizenry involved in these special units that can say, come on.

0:57:25

You're being ridiculous.

0:57:26

That's a that's a peace sign.

0:57:27

Come on.

0:57:29

You know?

0:57:30

Yeah.

Yousef Salaam

0:57:31

Thank you.

0:57:31

I just wanna acknowledge that we've been joined by council member Steven and council member Joseph.

0:57:35

I'm gonna pass it to council member Ayala.

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Panel members discuss racial disparities and unfair practices in gang database entries

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Council Member Ayala questions Babe Howell about NYPD's gang database practices