DC police secretly surveil residents to fill police gang database by 'association': report

A report has revealed that Washington DC's police database for tracking gangs is unreliable and that the agency secretly surveils residents.  

According to the report, residents in DC have been tracked "through its secret Gang Tracking and Analysis System" and the report has claimed the system is "fundamentally unreliable" and "procedures used by [the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department (MPD)] to add individuals to the database do not meet the minimum requirements." 

The lead author of the report, Carlos Andino, told WTOP that there are only six criteria to get on the database and “they are not based off criminality.” Rather, the criteria is “based off associations, meaning that if you are observed associating with somebody who the police already have on their DC Gang Database, you too, can be placed on it.” 

According to the report, one of the criteria is being "observed associating with gang members."  

It has proved to be "unreliable" in part by the report because the MPD has failed to update its information on various individuals "[d]espite clear federal guidance on validation” for keeping everything on the database current.  

Over 400 employees of the MPD have access to the database and can "share data with outside entities." 

In addition, information can be shared on an "ad hoc basis," according to the report. It states, "MPD admits that it provides 83 personal information from the database to outside entities on an 'ad hoc' basis." 

Several of the organizations that data has been shared with include the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, United States Department of Justice, and the United States Attorney’s Office. 

"MPD does not require these users to specify the reason they are searching on behalf of or providing information to an outside entity," the report added.  

The report also says that minorities are overrepresented on the database and that it tracks over 1,900 individuals in the DC area.  

DC Police Chief Pamela Smith responded to the accusations about the database, saying, “Arguments, disputes, and retaliation drive homicides and shootings in the District of Columbia. Maintaining an awareness of the affiliations of the people likely to be involved in violence — either as perpetrators or victims — is a critical part of reducing crime in our city." 

"The Metropolitan Police Department maintains a criminal gang database as an investigative tool. The identification of gangs, and the validation of specific individuals as gang members, are pivotal to supporting our criminal justice ecosystem and safeguarding our communities," Smith added.