For Immediate Release
S.T.O.P. Expresses Concern Mamdani Backtracks on Gang Database Ban
(New York, NY, 04/07/2026) – Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy and civil rights group, expresses concern that Mayor Mamdani has backtracked on his campaign pledge to end the use of the NYPD’s so-called “gang database.” The database normalizes undisclosed and unregulated mass surveillance while criminalizing Black and Latino New Yorkers. The civil rights group expresses concern that while Mamdani has publicly rejected the database, his move toward reform rather than abolition will allow pervasive racial profiling to continue under the guise of public safety.
SEE: New York Daily News – Mayor Mamdani steps back from pledge on total elimination of NYPD gang database
https://www.nydailynews.com/2026/04/06/mayor-mamdani-steps-back-from-pledge-on-total-elimination-of-nypd-gang-database/
GANGS Coalition Responds to Mayor Mamdani’s Statement, Calls for Full Abolishment of Criminal Group Database and The Passing of Intro 460
https://bsky.app/profile/gangscoalition.bsky.social/post/3miw77i7sis2t
“For years, we’ve seen how this database targets Black and Latino New Yorkers based on where they live, what they wear, and other racist criteria,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Michelle Dahl. “There is no fixing NYPD’s gang database. We hope that Mamdani will not allow insufficient, token reform measures to suppress action toward meaningful abolition that ensures the rights of all New Yorkers.”
This year, S.T.O.P. released “Dear Mamdani,” a report detailing how Mamdani can use the powers of his office to fulfill his campaign promises and rein in the NYPD’s surveillance sprawl. The report maps out the steps that Mamdani can take now to end illegal data sharing and abuse of databases, facial recognition tools, drones, and other surveillance technologies. In 2023, Mamdani also joined S.T.O.P. in a City & State NY op-ed supporting the STOP FAKES Act, which would ban police from using fake social media accounts to collect information on New Yorkers.
Press Release – S.T.O.P. Report Demands Mamdani Dismantle NYC Surveillance State, Details Policy Recommendations
https://www.stopspying.org/content-input/stop-report-demands-mamdani-dismantle-nyc-surveillance-state-details-policy-recommendations?rq=mamdani
SEE: City & State NY – New York must say no to social media surveillance
https://www.cityandstateny.com/opinion/2023/06/opinion-new-york-must-say-no-social-media-surveillance/387335/
In 2023, S.T.O.P. released “Guilt by Association,” a report examining how police databases profile Black and Latino youth, putting them at risk of wrongful arrest and deportation, while refusing to implement due process standards. The same year, S.T.O.P. renewed its call on the City Council to enact a full ban on the database, after an Inspector General report found that the NYPD has unenforced procedures for including New Yorkers in the database.
Press Release – S.T.O.P. Welcomes OIG Report on NYPD ‘Gang Database,’ Renews Call for Ban
https://www.stopspying.org/content-input/2023/4/18/stop-welcomes-oig-report-on-nypd-gang-database-renews-call-for-ban-e34bj
Press Release - S.T.O.P. Report Shows Police Databases Punish Black and Latinx Youth
https://www.stopspying.org/content-input/2023/9/5/mlvs5t7wvl0mizkbzaxtkk248v6426-7zrbt
The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider. S.T.O.P. litigates and advocates for privacy, fighting excessive local and state-level surveillance. Our work highlights the discriminatory impact of surveillance on Muslim Americans, immigrants, and communities of color.
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CONTACT: S.T.O.P. Communications Director Will Owen
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