A federal judge has given verbal approval to a settlement between the ACLU of Kansas and the Wichita Police Department in a lawsuit challenging the department’s gang database.

The lawsuit was filed in 2021 by the ACLU of Kansas, Kansas Appleseed, and Shook, Hardy, and Bacon LLP, and it claimed the department violated constitutional rights by including individuals in its Gang List and Database. The ACLU said the settlement marks a significant and long-awaited step forward for the many Wichita residents affected.

At a hearing on Friday, a number of people talked about the impact of the gang list on their lives, their families and their communities, and some said they were added to the list as juveniles.

The mediated agreement, which has been approved by the Wichita City Council, narrows and clarifies the criteria the Wichita Police Department can use to place a person on the Gang List/Database, with increased oversight on the process to review when and how someone can be listed. In addition, the WPD will create a method for members of the public to check and see if they are included on the Gang List/Database and an appeal process if the person believes their designation is incorrect.