Law Enforcement organization calls for a cease and desist of the NYPD “T-Mobile Sidekick” anti-theft program that violates the rights of juveniles
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS STATEMENT: The NYPD has established a procedure that requires Police Officers who are in contact with non-criminal juvenile truants who possess a T-Mobile sidekick phone to confiscate the phone and retrieve the IMEI number from the mobile phone and enter it into a NYPD information database. The IMEI number uniquely identifies and distinguishes the individual phone unit from others. 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care co-founder Marq Claxton states, “This policy is fraught with danger by encouraging additional unnecessary Police contact with juveniles. We cannot allow NYPD procedure to trump due process. Truancy is not a crime and we cannot allow the NYPD to circumvent constitutional protections as part of an ill conceived anti-theft program.” In addition to truant juveniles, the “Sidekick” program instructs Police Officers to confiscate phones and retrieve the private information from ALL individuals who are arrested AND in possession of a T-Mobile Sidekick phone. The NYPD procedure pre-supposes that merely possessing a T-Mobile Sidekick phone is grounds for a criminal inquiry.
DATE: Tuesday January 15, 2008
TIME: 12 noon
LOCATION: One Police Plaza
PRESIDING: 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care
WWW.100BLACKSINLAWENFORCEMENT.ORG