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    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    LAPD might be putting innocent people in the California gang database

    This week, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced plans to investigate the LAPD’s use of the CalGang database. The move comes after allegations that some police officers falsely portrayed people as gang members.

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    By Madeleine Brand • Feb 14, 2020 • 1 min read

    This week, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced plans to investigate the LAPD’s use of the CalGang database. The move comes after allegations that some police officers falsely portrayed people as gang members. The LAPD says it’s investigating 19 officers in the ongoing scandal.

    The CalGang database is a secret and shadowy system -- with information about 88,000 Californians suspected of gang affiliation or association.

    But the LA Times found that 15 people recently appealed that designation. They all were removed from the database, including Larry Sanders, who’s actually a longtime gang interventionist.

    The full episode

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    Jackie Lacey dismisses weed convictions in LA. Why now?
    1. 0:00‘Isn’t just a matter of waving a wand’: Jackie Lacey on weed conviction dismissals
    2. 10:14Political forecaster: It’s about turnout, not swing voters
    3. 20:19Finding love on the campaign trail
    4. 28:17LAPD might be putting innocent people in the California gang databaseYou’re reading this
    5. 35:16‘To All the Boys’ sequel is cute but not in a good way, says critic
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Madeleine Brand

      Host, 'Press Play'

    • KCRW placeholder

      Sarah Sweeney

      Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW

    • KCRW placeholder

      Michell Eloy

      Former Producer/Line Editor, Press Play

    • KCRW placeholder

      Alexandra Sif Tryggvadottir

      Associate producer

    • KCRW placeholder

      Larry Sanders

      gang interventionist

      NewsLos Angeles

    The full episode

    4 of 5
    Jackie Lacey dismisses weed convictions in LA. Why now?
    1. 0:00‘Isn’t just a matter of waving a wand’: Jackie Lacey on weed conviction dismissals
    2. 10:14Political forecaster: It’s about turnout, not swing voters
    3. 20:19Finding love on the campaign trail
    4. 28:17LAPD might be putting innocent people in the California gang databaseYou’re reading this
    5. 35:16‘To All the Boys’ sequel is cute but not in a good way, says critic
    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand