The Wichita City Council has approved a settlement in a lawsuit that alleged constitutional violations by the Police Department with a database on local gang members.
City Attorney Jennifer Magana presented the settlement, saying that the Police Department had already started to update its policy and procedures on the gang list and database.
The settlement will narrow and clarify the criteria used to place someone on the gang list and there will be a method for the public to check to see if they are included in the data base. There will be an appeal process for someone who believes they are incorrectly placed on the list. Police Captain Chad Beard said parents will also be able to check to find if their children are on the list and the criteria used to place them on the list.
The city will pay a total of $625,000 in the settlement, and $550,000 will go to the plaintiffs’ attorneys fees and costs. There will be $75,000 for a special master for a three-year period to provide oversight for the implementation of new policies on the gang database. There will also be a gang-review ombudsman, who will be a civilian appointed for two-year terms, to help with people who are on the gang list.
The funding for the settlement is from the city’s self insurance fund. The settlement still has to be approved by federal court.
