Proposed legislation in the New York City Council, Intro 798, seeks to end the NYPD’s Gang Database, ensuring that individuals unjustly labeled as “gang members” receive notice and access to their records. As of 2023, the Gang Database labels approximately 16,000 New Yorkers—some as young as 13 years of age, as gang members without any due process, and 99% of those persons are Black or Latino. Intro 798 also establishes a private right of action for those harmed by the database, mandates a public awareness campaign to inform New Yorkers of their rights, and prevents similar tracking systems from replacing it. Kevin Jason is Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. He joins us from New York City to provide analysis.
