Take Two translates the day’s headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that affect our lives. Produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from October 2012 – June 2021. Hosted by A Martinez.
California law enforcement has an array of high-tech tools to assist them, including a state-run database designed to help them identify suspected gang members. People on the list often face extra scrutiny if stopped by police.
But there's a problem: just knowing someone else who has a record as a gang member might put you on the list, too.
Sound kinda Orwellian?
The directory is called CalGang, and for nearly 20 years police in urban communities have used it to secretly keep tabs on confirmed and suspected gang members.
Now, lawmakers are pushing the state to notify the people on the list, many of whom may have no connection to organized crime.
Ali Winston is an investigative reporter for Reveal News and looked into it. He shared his findings with Take Two.