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Q&A
Safeguards and criteria for inclusion in the NYPD's gang database
1:52:34
ยท
3 min
Deputy Commissioner Michael Gerber explains the stringent safeguards and criteria in place for including individuals in the NYPD's gang database. He emphasizes the improvements made to the system following critiques from the Department of Investigation.
- Individuals can only be added to the database through self-admission or as part of an ongoing investigation with corroboration from two independent sources
- The NYPD has eliminated criteria based on association or residence
- Multiple levels of supervisory oversight are required for database entries
- Clear and strict removal criteria have been implemented
Joann Ariola
1:52:34
Right.
1:52:35
Getting rid of the database is just insanity.
1:52:37
It would cause chaos in this city.
1:52:39
And chief, to to speak to your statistics, which I think are are really compelling, is that, you know, the amount of people, 1%, when, you know, such a large number of perpetrators of crimes who have been arrested are, you know, underage.
1:52:55
So I just want you to add one just answer this again.
1:52:58
I know you've answered it before, but how many safeguards are in place on the database to make sure only people who need to be listed are there, and what triggers it?
Michael Gerber
1:53:09
Right.
1:53:10
And we've we we got rid of some of the things that could have gotten someone in before.
1:53:15
The only way it can happen is either someone self admits, either they're, you know, saying it, let's say, you know, in an interview with a police officer, or via their own social media posts, not someone else's, their own social media posts.
1:53:30
They are they are in a variety of ways admitting to gang membership.
1:53:35
Documented.
1:53:36
I don't know if some cop just says so.
1:53:37
If we're relying on social media, we need the actual screen captures, right, for supervisory oversight and for DOI if they're doing an audit.
1:53:45
So anyway, so you and then that's that's one path.
1:53:47
The other path is if as part of an ongoing investigation they've been identified as a gang member and on top of that there are two independent individuals, reliable individuals, who have said yes, this person's in that gang.
1:54:01
So those are the only two paths.
1:54:03
It's really important because I know there's been some confusion about this.
1:54:07
You know, this idea that you could get in the gang database because of who you associate with or where you live.
1:54:13
And I will say, I think there's a critique for idea why.
1:54:16
It was a fair critique that under the old system, there was a piece of that that existed out there.
1:54:23
And we have totally eliminated that.
1:54:25
That's really important.
1:54:26
And then if you meet those criteria, you have the documentation, there's multiple levers of supervisory oversight.
1:54:32
Only certain teams within detective or intelligence bureaus can nominate someone for the database.
1:54:38
Their immediate supervisor has to sign off.
1:54:41
It then goes to a separate supervisor in real time crime, and that supervisor, I will note, they're not involved in this investigation.
1:54:49
Right?
1:54:49
They're separate.
1:54:49
They're not invested in this.
1:54:51
Their job is to apply these rules.
1:54:53
And I will tell you, we have lots of situations in which people a detective says, hey.
1:55:00
This person should be in the database, and it gets rejected.
1:55:03
Real time crime says, no.
1:55:05
We're not gonna do it.
1:55:06
Sometimes the detective's frustration, right, the detective says hold on, I'm really sure this person's in the gang.
1:55:10
And we say no.
1:55:11
We have these rules.
1:55:12
We have documentation requirements.
1:55:14
No documentation, not going in.
1:55:16
So we really have tightened that up tremendously.
1:55:19
And then on the back end with the removals, again, I I really I think DOI had a fair critique before about about sort of that the removal criteria being too kind of amorphous or unclear.
1:55:31
We have tightened that up tremendously.
1:55:34
Right?
1:55:34
And and, you know, we I listed the criteria before.
1:55:37
There's no wiggle room in that.
1:55:38
Mhmm.
1:55:39
Right?
1:55:39
If those criteria if one of them is not satisfied, the person is out.
1:55:43
Period.