NYC Gang Database Is Here To Stay, Mayor Says

NEW YORK CITY — Mayor Bill de Blasio threw his support behind the NYPD gang database advocates fear ensnares people of color who have committed no crimes.

"This database is a central tool in addressing a real problem in this city," de Blasio said on "The Brian Lehrer Show" Friday morning. "We have to remain vigilant."

Public defenders and social justice activists launched Thursday a massive campaign against the NYPD's Criminal Group Database, protesting on the steps of City Hall and releasing a Brooklyn College report on its scope and the detrimental effect it has on its members.

Kraig Lewis said he spent 22 months in jail after federal officers pulled him away from his 6-year-old son because he was mistakenly put on the list.

While police say roughly 17,500 people are on the list and have an average 11 prior arrests in their files, a CUNY School of Law analysis puts the number at about 37,000.

And "Erase the Database" advocates say boasting on social media or wearing the wrong colors can land someone on the list, which can have serious ramifications for enrollees.

"Being in the database is subjective," said community advocate Althea Stevens. "There's no concrete evidence that shows why a person should be in the database. Or how they can get out."

De Blasio said he did not know much about the specific mechanics of the database but added "Every single initiative of the NYPD is constantly assessed or reassessed."

"No one does that more than Dermot Shea," de Blasio said of the city's new NYPD commissioner, a long-standing advocate of the gang database.

De Blasio asserted that even though crime has reached historically low levels in New York, gangs and crews remained one of "central problems" in New York City.