New York Agency Criticized for Using "Y" (for Yellow) to Identify Asian Officers

A document obtained by the New York Civil Liberties Union through a Freedom of Information request revealed that the Nassau County (NY) Police Department allegedly used the letter "Y" — for the color yellow — to denote officers of Asian heritage, according to The Hill .

According to NBC News that "B" signified black, "H" indicated Hispanic, "W" designated white, and "Y" stood for yellow. "I" — for Indian — was also used in reference to Native Americans.

"In this particular situation, this computer program was developed over a quarter-century ago and in no way has the use of these letters reflected any bias toward our Asian American or Native American residents," a Nassau County Police Department public information office wrote in a statement.

"Asian Americans and Native Americans will be properly identified in the revisions to this IT system," the PIO added.