Montgomery, Md Police Track Gangs Through Database
Montgomery County, Md., police have been gathering a database of the photos and names of suspected gang members, a procedure certain community leaders contend could falsely label the innocent.
County police state there are between 20 and 25 active gangs in the county, with more than 500 members.
A 2004 report on gangs found that officers entered over 2,400 contacts with gang members and associates into the database between 2000 and last year.
Police spokesman Lt. Eric Burnett stresses that only individuals who have been involved in a criminal act have their photos taken, and that the pictures would not be a privacy invasion since individuals are asked for consent before their photos are taken.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Associated Press (08/11/05); Feeney, Michael J.
