More Than 5k People Are on a NY State Police Gang Database
a year ago
- #civil-liberties
- #police-surveillance
- #immigration
- New York State Police maintains a secretive gang database (GRIP) with over 5,100 entries, shared with ICE for two decades.
- Criteria for gang designation includes speculative factors like clothing, tattoos, and associations, often without criminal charges.
- The database feeds into federal systems like ICE's Investigative Case Management, built by Palantir, aiding Trump's deportation campaigns.
- Critics argue the database enables racial profiling and lacks transparency, with no public access or audit mechanisms.
- Governor Hochul has increased funding for gang surveillance, despite claiming opposition to mass deportations.
- Gang databases have been criticized for inaccuracies, targeting minorities, and severe consequences like enhanced sentencing and ICE enforcement.
- NYSIC's gang entries use loose federal criteria, including informant tips and observed associations, raising civil liberties concerns.
- Recent cases show immigrants wrongly labeled as gang members based on tattoos or clothing, leading to unjust deportations.
- The NYPD's gang database faces scrutiny, while the statewide version operates with little oversight or public awareness.
- Hochul's administration supports gang policing initiatives, contradicting her public stance on protecting immigrants from deportation.