The Legal Aid Society worked with The New York Times to shed light on a City database that stores thousands of New Yorkers’ DNA profiles – many individuals who have never even been charged with or convicted of a crime. Similar to other technologies employed by the New York Police Department, the collection and storage of DNA overwhelmingly targets communities of color.

“We talk about community policing and the idea that communities should trust their police departments, but all of these kinds of actions erode that trust,” said Terri Rosenblatt, Supervising Attorney of the DNA Unit at The Legal Aid Society.