Press Release: Enhancing the Response to Hate Crimes

Category: Uncategorized

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee) held the first meeting of the “Enhancing the Response to Hate Crimes” Advisory Committee in Washington, D.C. on September 19, 2017.  

Recognizing the critical role law enforcement and community leaders play in responding to hate crimes and the victims of those crimes, the meeting included law enforcement and civil rights leaders from across the country committed to developing an achievable action agenda to enhance the response to hate incidents and hate crimes.

“We are proud to lead a committee of such outstanding leaders who are coming together to invest their time and effort into breaking down barriers and strengthening the relationship between law enforcement and the communities that are too often the targets of hate crimes,” said Lawyers’ Committee President and Executive Director Kristen Clarke.

“We are grateful to Karol Mason, President of John Jay College of Criminal Justice, for facilitating these difficult and productive conversations and the participation of the committee members to ensure that we produce an action agenda to help law enforcement and community leaders enhance the response to hate crimes,” said IACP President Donald De Lucca.

At the first in a series of four meetings, members of the committee representing cities and communities of all sizes began the hard and purposeful work of developing key principles for enhancing the response to hate crimes. The committee discussed the many legal, economic, emotional, social, and safety issues that arise in the wake of hate incidents and hate crimes, and proposed recommendations on how best to respond. Members also discussed ways to prevent hate incidents and hate crimes.  

This meeting laid the foundation for a comprehensive action agenda for public officials, community leaders, law enforcement officers, and justice system leaders to better respond to hate crimes. Subsequent meetings will solicit input from additional law enforcement and civil rights leaders as well as community members targeted for hate crimes. The committee will use this input to craft an action agenda for community and law enforcement leaders. This action agenda, once funded and implemented, will help improve the safety of communities targeted by hate.  

Organizations participating in this initiative include:  

  • The Anti-Defamation League
  • The Arc
  • Baltimore, MD Police Department
  • Delaware State Police
  • Dunwoody, GA Police Department
  • Homeland Security Investigations
  • Human Rights Campaign
  • International Association of Chiefs of Police
  • International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training
  • John Jay College of Criminal Justice
  • Knoxville, TN Police Department
  • Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
  • The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
  • Mansfield, MA Police Department
  • Matthew Shepard Foundation
  • Muslim Advocates
  • National Center for Transgender Equality
  • National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives
  • Seattle, WA Police Department
  • Sikh Coalition
  • South Asian Americans Leading Together
  • UnidosUS
  • University of Cincinnati
  • University of Vermont Police Services

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