S.T.O.P. Supports Banning NYPD From Tricking Kids To Submit DNA

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View this email in your browser For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Supports Bill Banning NYPD From Tricking Kids To Submit DNA (NEW YORK, NY, 10/14/2020) – Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy group, supported the reported introduction of New York City Council bill banning the NYPD from tricking or coercing kids to submit DNA samples. The City Council legislation, which is co-sponsored by Councilmembers Diana Ayala and Donovan Richards, bans the NYPD from collecting children’s DNA without a parent or guardian’s consent. SEE: THE CITY - Bill Would Clamp Down on Cops Collecting DNA From Kids https://www.thecity.nyc/2020/10/13/21515424/bill-would-clamp-down-on-cops-collecting-dna-from-kids “Trick-Or-Treat may be a Halloween tradition, but tricking kids to give up their DNA is more than spooky, it’s illegal,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “It’s appalling that hundreds, maybe thousands, of children have their DNA tracked because they accepted a soda or a piece of gum from officers. Stopping the NYPD from tricking kids to submit DNA samples is vital, but it’s just a first step. For years, the NYPD circumvented state law to set up a sprawling DNA database. Thousands of New Yorkers, including countless children, have seen their data harvested as a result. This practice was never legal, and we believe the database would be struck down in the courts. But we can’t wait for years of litigation; the City Council must outlaw the database today.” Currently, the NYPD’s database, which is maintained by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, includes over 30,000 New Yorkers. It is estimate that 5% of these DNA profiles belong to children. SEE: N.Y. Daily News - NYC top cop Dermot Shea defends DNA database, calling criticism to date ‘erroneous’ https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ny-nypd-dna-database-shea-20200304-e5rmmrpet5hbre4sr4at5xybtq-story.html    The Appeal - Legislation on New York City’s Sprawling Systems of Surveillance Finally Gets A Hearing https://theappeal.org/new-york-city-surveillance-hearing/ The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider hosted by the Urban Justice Center. 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.   - END –   Copyright © 2019 Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, All rights reserved.