California Governor Jerry Brown is expected to sign A.B. 90 into law to bring scrutiny and justice to the state’s gang database. A 2016 state audit showed that the database was grossly inaccurate with many included who were innocent. The law establishes new standards and regulations, audits and an advisory committee to include a wider group than only law enforcement representatives. (Electronic Frontier Foundation, September 25, 2017, by Amul Kalia)
Civil rights advocates have criticized the way law enforcement officers use the database to identify individuals as gang members when they are supposed to check with the person who entered the information about the gang identity. To label a person as a gang member police have used self-admission, tattoos, and clothing. All are subject to misinterpretation. (The Center for Investigative Reporting, March 23, 2016, by Ali Winston)
In the 2016 audit, four law enforcement agencies could not substantiate gang entries in the database. Out of 100 in entered into the database by the four agencies, 13 were found to be entered in error. (Los Angeles Times, August 11, 2016, by Richard Winton)