Dispatch From the War on Pattern Recognition

A crime-fighting database has been credited with making New Yorkers safer. Activists want it gone because most of the people it tracks are black and brown.

The New York Police Department’s Criminal Group Database keeps tabs on approximately 16,000 individuals, housing information and intelligence about alleged gang members and gang-related activities. It’s considered controversial by some, but the so-called “gang database” has been credited with making New Yorkers safer.

Nevertheless, soft-on-crime advocat…