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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Aaliyah Guillory-Nickens, Campaign Organizer at Youth Represent
3:11:07
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Aaliyah Guillory-Nickens, representing Youth Represent, testified against the NYPD's gang database, arguing that it disproportionately targets Black and Latino youth without improving public safety. She emphasized the need for community investments and support programs as alternatives to policing.
- Highlighted that 99% of individuals in the database are Black and/or Latino, indicating racial profiling
- Criticized the database for criminalizing youth culture, poverty, and non-criminal behaviors
- Called for year-round youth support programs, affordable housing, and mental health services instead of the database
Aaliyah Guillory-Nickens
3:11:07
Good afternoon.
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My name is Aaliyah Glorynikins.
3:11:09
I'm the campaign organizer at Youth Represent.
3:11:12
I wanna start off by saying the gang database has not been proven to help decrease crime or promote public safety, which we understood during NYPD's questioning.
3:11:22
What has been proven about this secret database is that it can be harmful and very dangerous for black and Latinx New Yorkers that already walk around with targets on their backs just for existing.
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99% of individuals on this database are black and or Latino, mostly young New Yorkers.
3:11:38
Gangs are not 99% black and Latino at all bringing us to the point that this is indeed racial profiling and not a tool in actually deterring crime.
3:11:47
It is hypocritical for the NYPD to claim to be concerned about young people's livelihood when they are at the same time taking it away.
3:11:53
With this database, young people's culture and their childhood is being criminalized.
3:11:57
Being raised in poverty is being criminalized simply because it's not understood.
3:12:01
Public safety and its database are two things that
Althea V. Stevens
3:12:03
are
Aaliyah Guillory-Nickens
3:12:03
incompatible.
3:12:05
Today I wanna focus on how detrimental this is to the youth that we claim to be our future.
3:12:09
The basis of this data of being on this database is merely where you live, who you know, who you socialize with, what you listen to, or even where you get a bacon, egg, and cheese from.
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None of those things are crimes.
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This practice heightens the risk of hostile police encounters and wrongful arrests.
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It further breaks the trust between police and communities causing a disconnect that makes their jobs way harder for no apparent reason.
3:12:29
To address public safety when dealing with our young people, we need to double down on the investments we continue to ask for.
3:12:35
The initiatives that the community affairs person from NYPD offers such as SYEP and programs that are usually hosted by the same cops that terrorize community members are not enough.
3:12:45
First and foremost, summer is one season, so saying SYEP is gonna help decrease crime is not enough because people, young people specifically need to make money all year round not just in the summertime.
3:12:55
Young people need jobs, resume building, interview preparation, financial literacy, and other things all year round, and what we're asking for is that and for more funding for ATI programs, CMS sites, and mentoring programs.
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We're asking for affordable housing and mental health services.
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This will lead to less shootings and interrupt the cycles of violence that we see.
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In conclusion, the basis of this database and who is targeted discredits the morality of what is claimed to be.
3:13:19
It's not police work, it's police not wanting to work.
3:13:21
Thank you city council member Althea Stevens for being a leader and passing intro seven nine eight, forever speaking for the communities and never leaving out our young people.
3:13:29
Hopefully, could abolish this database.