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Q&A
Discussion on surveillance of individuals in the gang database
1:40:03
·
70 sec
Council Member Cabán questions NYPD officials about whether individuals in the gang database are subject to increased surveillance, including monitoring of their social media. The NYPD denies general surveillance but acknowledges using the database as an intelligence tool in specific investigations.
- Cabán asks if people in the database are more likely to be subjected to surveillance
- NYPD officials deny general surveillance of database members
- They clarify that the database is used as an intelligence tool in specific investigations, such as shootings
- The exchange reveals tension between the database's investigative use and concerns about surveillance
Tiffany Cabán
1:40:03
Great.
1:40:04
Moving on.
1:40:04
It's not that hard.
1:40:06
Is it true that people in the database are more likely to be subjected to surveillance including their social media?
1:40:11
So if you're on the database, you're going be watched more closely.
1:40:15
You're going look at their social media.
Michael Gerber
1:40:16
No.
1:40:18
No.
1:40:18
No.
1:40:18
I think that's not the case at all.
Tiffany Cabán
1:40:20
Okay.
1:40:21
So you're saying that if they're on the database, you're not I mean, that's contrary to what you testified to earlier saying that you look at the No.
Michael Gerber
1:40:33
It's not.
1:40:34
What we said was that in situations in which we are for example, there's been a shooting.
1:40:38
We're trying to figure out motive for the shooting, trying to deploy effectively, investigate effectively.
1:40:44
Do we use that utilize database in that situation?
1:40:47
The database is a very, very important intelligence tool.
1:40:51
Your question, as I understood it, was a question about sort of generalized surveillance.
1:40:55
Do we have some surveillance program of the people in the database?
1:40:58
And the answer to that question
Tiffany Cabán
1:40:59
is no.
1:41:00
But you are checking into these people even if there is even though evidence of criminal activity is not required to be entered into the database.
1:41:08
You do not have to have evidence of criminal activity to be placed into the database.