The Chicago Police Department's gang database contained approximately 128,000 records but included no names or identification, listing only details such as gang affiliation, race, age, first arrest or system-entry date, and police beat.
Notes on verification
Corroborated by ProPublica's original data documentation, independent journalism (Salon, Chicago Magazine), and Chicago Tribune reporting via FOIA. All sources agree on the ~128,000 record count and absence of names/IDs. [tier=unverified indep_score=0.3 clusters=2 claim_tier=notable] [rescored 2026-09-15: curated origin-host map (PR #65); unclassified hosts no longer scored as aggregators]
Sources
- Data Store Archive - News Apps - ProPublica (seed:conspiracy_and_investigation)
- https://www.salon.com/2018/04/22/chicagos-gang-database-is-full-of-errors-and-records-we-have-prove-it_partner/ (corroboration)
- https://www.chicagomag.com/city-life/april-2018/records-suggest-chicagos-gang-database-is-full-of-errors/ (corroboration)