The Gang Database Series

Director: Paul A. Notice II
Featuring: Marnie Lenox, Afrika Owes, Anthony Placeres, Lyndon Chris Placeres, Taylonn Murphy Sr., Chris Williams, Ms. Smith, Shannon Elizabeth
Produced by Policing & Social Justice Project, Josmar Trujillo & TNB Studios
Editor: Paul A. Notice II
DP: Elliot Guilbe, Paul Notice, Stephanie Tangilisan

Furthermore, those “gang members” will be charged for crimes committed by a few people they might know. Being named in the Gang Database creates cruel and unjust barriers in the form of face longer sentences, larger bails, if any at all.  What's worse, the majority of the people placed on the Gang Database, are not gang members - and are not made aware of their inclusion, until arrested, or in court.

The point activist and legal scholars alike are making, is that there is virtually no exact way to identify actual gang members. In fact, the qualifications listed by the NYPD are notoriously vague and broad. For example, living in a “known gang location” (such as public housing), and wearing “known gang colors” (like red, orange, blue, purple, green, black, white & yellow) - could land you in the Gang Database.

And even then, it gives no indication of whether they have, or will, commit a crime. 

Why? 

Because you don’t have to commit a crime to be on the Gang Database.  

Community members across the country, like Brother AT Mitchell in New York, formed organizations like Man Up! following the tragic death of the 8 year old, Desean Hill in 2003 in NYC. It was their way of ending the cycle gun violence in East New York. 

They later became part of the New York City Crisis Management System’s Cure Violence Program, employing a public health model to address the issue of gun violence in local communities. 

This is the work of the violence interrupters, and other organizations who work to mediate conflicts. There are countless community organizations across the country are working with residents who have a high risk of committing gun violence, as well as those who have been impacted by it.  

We’ll cover a litany of those activists across the country, who are both fighting against over-policing, and providing a healthy alternatives, under the philosophy of “Abolish the Police.”

Part 1: Gang Databases: Stop And Frisk 2.0 

With crime at an all-time low, NYPD Chief of Detectives, Dermont Shea, is spear-heading a new media frenzy to encourage the city to continue spending millions in policing: Gangs are Coming Back. But are they? We follow local activists partnering with the #LegalAidSociety, as they attempt to not only ban the use of gang databases in New York, but also to expose the truth: the majority of the people on these databases, aren't actually gangsters...

Part 2: The Truth About Crews | Ft. Vidal Guzman & Chris Williams

Recently, New York City has seen a growing number of stories related to gangs-related crimes. It’s sparked several projects aimed at ridding NYC of gangs for good. But… Who are the people the NYPD call gangsters? We take a look, with JustLeadership USA.

Part 3: Communities Fight Back Against Secret NYPD Gang Database

How do you lower gun violence? Is it through heavier policing and harsher penalties? Or is it through Credible Messengers and Anti-Violence groups? We join the Legal Aid Society, as they work with anti-violence groups in Brooklyn to solve the issue of not only gang violence, but NYPD's newest method to work around the ban on Stop & Frisk: Gang Databases. Featuring: The Legal Aid Society Anthony Posada Victor Dempsey Man Up Inc. Sister Antoinette Kennedy Brother Richie Dominique Carson AT Mitchell

Part 4: Are the Kids Alright?

In this fourth installment of the #GangDatabase series, we talk to Marnie Lenox & Afrika Owes about the constitutional and ethical issues surrounding NYPD's use of a gang database. Directed & Edited by Paul Notice Featuring: Marnie Lenox Afrika Owes Anthony Placeres Lyndon Chris Placeres Produced by TNB Studios Josmar Trujillo The Center for Policing & Social Justice