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"Preventing Hate and Keeping You Up to Date"
July 2023
The Hate Crimes Training and Technical Assistance Program Newsletter Preventing Hate and Keeping You Up to Date is a monthly summary of research, articles, site highlights, and more. This publication is provided for program awardees' and project partners' information and awareness. Please contact info@hatecrimestta.org to submit a success story or resource for consideration in the newsletter.
General News
Justice Department Updates Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance
Since the guidelines were last updated ten years ago, technology has evolved dramatically. The revised guidelines update when and how department employees work with victims and witnesses of crime to ensure that their voices are heard and that they are protected during criminal justice proceedings.
Fact Sheet: Justice Department Efforts to Protect the LGBTQI+ Community
On June 8, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released a statement from Attorney General Garland in recognition of Pride Month and in celebration of the LGBTQI+ community renewing its commitment to protect the rights of every person to live free from discrimination and persecution based on who they are or whom they love. DOJ is pursuing those who commit acts of hate based on sexual orientation or gender identity to the fullest extent of the law and published a fact sheet detailing efforts to protect the LGBTQI+ community.
Election 2024 Will Likely See Spike in Hate Crimes, Report Says
A new report released by the Leadership Conference Education Fund shows that trends of hate crimes increase during election cycles. Data going back to 2008 reveals increases in hate crimes against racial groups around general elections.
Man Indicted on 98 Charges Including Hate Crimes for 2022 Shooting
at Taiwanese Church
A man accused of fatally shooting one person and wounding five others at a southern California church luncheon last year has been charged with dozens of federal hate crimes in connection with the attack. He was motivated by hatred of Taiwan, where he grew up, investigators said.
Site Highlights
San Jose: New ‘Police Dashboard’ Report Shows Alarming Increase in Hate Crimes
In 2022, the San Jose, California, Police Department (PD) created a dashboard that shows the city’s crime rates, and using this dashboard, the department found a large uptick in hate crimes. Along with hate crime incidents, the dashboard also tracks response times and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Uniform Crime Report data.
Mesa PD Hate Crimes Community Forum
The Mesa, Arizona, PD and the Morrison Institute for Public Policy are facilitating Community Conversations to discuss hate crime awareness, reporting hate crimes, and police and legal response to hate crimes.
On June 4, 2023, Not In Our Town partnered with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California and leading organizations in the Sacramento area for the first screening of Repairing the World: Stories From the Tree of Life in central California. The documentary film is about the powerful community response of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to hate in the aftermath of the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history, showing what it means to be “stronger than hate.”
Special Interest
Macon Residents Gather in Support of Temple Beth Israel
Hundreds of community members gathered on the steps of Temple Beth Israel in downtown Macon, Georgia, Saturday afternoon to show their support of and solidarity with Macon’s Jewish community. Attendees included members of Macon’s Jewish and LGBTQ+ communities, Mercer University students and professors, and the Bibb County district attorney and county sheriff. They met with purpose, greeting each other with hugs and handshakes, carrying signs, and passing out bottles of water in response to a gathering of people outside the synagogue on Friday claiming to be members of an antisemitic group.
San Diego DA Develops Cultural Awareness Application for Law Enforcement The San Diego County, California, District Attorney’s Office has developed a Web-based application that can be used from any computer or mobile device to access cultural information about various communities in San Diego County, such as common beliefs, traditions, and historical perspective on law enforcement interactions. The information in the downloadable app came directly from community members, it is adaptable, and new communities can be added.
Police Service in Canada Launching Hate Incidents Reporting Tool
The Edmonton, Alberta, Police Service (EPS) in Canada is launching a new online reporting hub for hate incidents. The online reporting tool will allow residents to report hate incidents without calling police or coming into the station. The system will also allow users to report on behalf of someone else.
Coming Soon!
Hate Crimes TTA
Program Grantee Dashboard
This project was supported by Grant No. 15PBJA-21-GK-02977-HATE awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART).
Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.
