Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Babe Howell, Professor at CUNY School of Law, on NYPD's Gang Database
3:06:26
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Professor Babe Howell from CUNY School of Law provides testimony criticizing the NYPD's gang database, highlighting its disproportionate impact on Black and Latino communities and arguing for its abolition. She emphasizes the dangers of mislabeling individuals as gang members and the negative consequences for affected communities.
- The database is 99% Black and Latino, excluding white supremacist groups and other predominantly white organizations.
- Gang labeling leads to over-policing, unnecessary involvement in the criminal justice system, and potential ICE targeting.
- Professor Howell argues that the database increases gang membership and cohesion, contradicting its intended purpose.
- She urges the passage of Intro 798 to erase the database and protect New Yorkers' civil and human rights.
Babe Howell
3:06:26
I'm Babe Howell, professor at CUNY School of Law, and I have studied gang databases for fifteen years.
3:06:33
Labeling people as gang members based entirely on lawful behavior, wrong.
3:06:40
Labeling groups of three or more, a gang, wrong.
3:06:46
Labeling only black and Latino New Yorkers as gang members, morally wrong.
3:06:52
Yet the database is 99% black and Latino.
3:06:56
There are no white supremacists, no mafia, no proud boys, almost no white people in the gang database.
3:07:03
Worse than wrong, it's dangerous.
3:07:06
The dangers cannot be overstated.
3:07:09
Gang labeled individuals are targeted for harassment.
3:07:12
They are over policed, dragged unnecessarily into the criminal system, losing jobs or falling behind in school.
3:07:20
They are denied off ramps and second chances.
3:07:24
They are held pretrial which can lead to gang membership and like Craig said, wrongful convictions.
3:07:32
The database endangers the communities as well.
3:07:35
Gang suppression increases gang membership and cohesion.
3:07:39
Over policing so called gangs contributes to the very problem it purports to solve.
3:07:45
Communities need programming and jobs for youth not labels.
3:07:53
Gang labeled individuals have been targeted by ICE and are now being transported in chains to Gitmo and other countries.
3:08:02
Looking forward, authoritarian leaders have locked up alleged gang members by the tens of thousands in Central America.
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This terrifyingly is a very real possibility for our citizens in the near future.
3:08:18
All these dangers because of a label that can be based on wishing someone a happy birthday or on lawful activities on your social media.
3:08:30
We must erase this dangerous database before the day comes when we wish we had.
3:08:36
Now is the moment to protect New Yorkers, to protect our rights, civil and human, to associate with friends and to express ourselves.
3:08:44
Now is the moment to pass intro seven ninety eight.
3:08:47
We cannot afford to wait.