Are gang databases by nature wrong?

We have to look all the way back to 1987 with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for the start of this debate. Their program started with much success and was then expanded into Cal-Gang, in order for other police departments and agencies throughout California to add to the statewide collection system. This statewide repository system is still used in some states today.  Over time in California, there were opponents of agencies keeping records of persons who have been encountered by police, or of police “surveillance” of citizens. As Cal-Gang grew, so did the criticisms for being too vast, inaccurate, and used as a means of racial profiling. It would go on to be dismantled by the California Attorney General. This would not be the last time that a city’s gang database would come under fire.  Chicago would be another high-profile hit to gang databases. In 2019, a report was published that mentioned the same criticisms that Cal-Gang received, including 27 recommendations for Chicago to improve. One thing that became clear was that legislation was needed and some form of regulation was needed.

At the time of this writing, the following states have laws regarding gang databases: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. While some departments nationwide have recently come under fire from community activists about the accuracy or oversight of how information was being entered or maintained into their system, these databases probably do not comply with Federal 28 CFR standards. This is a national standard for databases that tackles the compliance side of database management.  Following these standards will ensure that the database is used morally correctly, and these standards can be shared with the public.  This will allow a department to increase its use of investigative information, and maintain a clean database that constantly remains current. 

A gang database such as Gangscope is not evidence of guilt against a person, and cannot convict a person alone. It is to be seen as another tool in our tool belts. We believe such a database is valuable as a way to identify suspects, solve crimes faster, and alert officers to a potentially dangerous situation or encounter with a person.  That is how Gangscope can help; through supervisory approval of all entered information to remain consistent and accurate plus it is 100% compliant with Federal 28 CFR. If you are ever met with resistance or criticism over the use of a gang or intelligence database, you can respond with confidence that Gangscope helps administrators keep current and accurate data on the gangs and dangerous persons in your community.

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GangScope™ is an intelligence database that helps capture, analyze, search and share intelligence on criminals, gangs, and more. GangScope acts as a first-tier, internal database that manages data on known and suspected criminals and gang members. Intelligence is collected per incident and can include qualifiers, associates, acquaintances (points of contact), witnesses, images, and documents. GangScope’s collection of detailed information aids in investigations, analysis and ultimately solving crime. The software complies with standards outlined by federal (28 CFR) policies. While complying with standards, GangScope™ boasts usability through simple yet extensive data mining via search, reports, profiles, and watches.

To learn more or to schedule a full demo of our system – request a demo here. We would welcome the opportunity to show you how Gangscope can help your department organize and store your data in a secure and compliant way.

The GangScope Team