U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance
ADDRESSING HATE CRIMES SIX INITIATIVES THAT ARE ENHANCING THE EFFORTS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE PRACTITIONERS
Monograph
H ATE C RIMES S ERIES U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs 810 Seventh Street NW. Washington, DC 20531
Janet Reno Attorney General
Daniel Marcus Acting Associate Attorney General
Laurie Robinson Assistant Attorney General
Noël Brennan Deputy Assistant Attorney General
Nancy E. Gist Director, Bureau of Justice Assistance
Office of Justice Programs World Wide Web Home Page www.ojp.usdoj.gov
Bureau of Justice Assistance World Wide Web Home Page www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA
For grant and funding information contact U.S. Department of Justice Response Center 1–800–421–6770
This project was supported by Cooperative Agreement No. 95–DD–BX–K001, awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice to Community Research Associates, Inc. This document was prepared by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Hate Violence, University of Southern Maine, under contract with Community Research Associates, Inc. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recom- mendations expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily rep- resent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the 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, and the Office for Victims of Crime. ADDRESSING HATE CRIMES SIX INITIATIVES THAT ARE ENHANCING THE EFFORTS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE PRACTITIONERS
February 2000
NCJ 179559
Prepared by Stephen Wessler Center for the Study and Prevention of Hate Violence University of Southern Maine Acknowledgments
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) wishes to thank the author of this monograph, Stephen Wessler, Director of the University of Southern Maine’s Center for the Study and Prevention of Hate Violence. Mr. Wessler has agreed to write another monograph in the BJA Hate Crime Series in early 2000. BJA extends heartfelt thanks to John Firman and Nancy Turner of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and Elaine Nugent of the American Prosecutors Research Institute; the time and energy they spent in reviewing the draft are much appreciated.
In addition, BJA would like to acknowledge the efforts of Community Research Associates and the assistance of BJA staff members Jennifer Knobe and Charlie Wendy, who shepherded this monograph from design to dissemination, and Patrick Coleman, who provided guidance in developing BJA’s Hate Crime Series.
BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE iii Contents
I. The Pivotal Role of Law Enforcement ...... 1
II. The International Association of Chiefs of Police Summit: Hate Crime in America ...... 3
III. DOJ Law Enforcement Training: The Essential Building Block to an Effective Response to Hate Violence...... 5
DOJ’s National Hate Crime Training Initiative...... 6
Refresher Training...... 8
IV. The American Prosecutors Research Institute’s Resource Guide for Prosecutors ...... 11
V. The Maine Civil Rights Officers Project: A Coordinated System of Training, Reporting, Investigation, and Prosecution ...... 13
VI. Conclusion ...... 15
VII. For More Information...... 17
BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE v I. The Pivotal Role of Law Enforcement
Over the past few years the schools; and additional resources nation has experienced an alarm- for training police officers and ing number of disturbing and prosecutors. sometimes deadly hate crimes. The dragging death of African- Police officers generally are the American James Byrd, Jr., in first professionals responding to Jasper, Texas; the deadly attack on the scene of a hate crime. Their Matthew Sheppard, a gay student actions significantly affect the out- in Laramie, Wyoming; the shooting come of the criminal investigation as rampage targeting minority citizens well as the community’s response in Chicago; and the shootings of to the incident. Therefore, law children at a Jewish community enforcement agencies have a piv- center in Los Angeles, California, otal role in responding to, investi- followed by the murder of Joseph gating, prosecuting, and preventing Santos Ileto, a Filipino-American hate crimes. To successfully carry mail carrier, have left a trail of out their roles, police officers and dead or wounded victims and trau- prosecutors must receive training matized, fearful communities. on recognizing and investigating During this time many other potential hate crimes, have clear Americans have been the victims protocols on how to respond to of far less publicized hate crimes hate violence, and develop innova- motivated by their perpetrators’ tive programs for preventing and bias toward their perceived racial responding to hate crimes. or ethnic identity, religion, national- The Bureau of Justice Assistance ity, sexual orientation, gender, or (BJA) of the U.S. Department of disability. These less well known Justice (DOJ) has made it a priori- hate crimes resulted in similar lev- ty to support police and prosecuto- els of injury and trauma to both the rial agencies in responding to hate victims and the communities. crimes. Examples of BJA-funded The nation has reacted to these projects in this area include: hate crimes with energy and inge- • The International Association of nuity. Responses include clear and Chiefs of Police (IACP) Summit: strong condemnation from reli- Hate Crime in America. gious, civic, and governmental Convened in collaboration with leaders; efforts to strengthen state the Office of Justice Programs and federal hate crime laws; innov- (OJP) and the Office of ative preventive programs in
BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 1 ADDRESSING HATE CRIMES
Community Oriented Policing hate incidents, hate crimes, and Services, a 2-day summit at how best to assist victims. which law enforcement, civil • The American Prosecutors rights, and other leaders devel- Research Institute’s (APRI’s) oped a broad range of recom- Resource Guide, Prosecutors mendations for addressing hate Respond to Hate Crimes Project. crimes in communities across The publication of a resource the country. guide on hate crimes for local • DOJ’s National Hate Crime prosecutors. Training Initiative. The develop- • The Maine Department of the ment of multilevel hate crime Attorney General’s Designated training curricula and the cre- Civil Rights Officers Project. ation of a nationwide training The development of a coordi- program for local law enforce- nated statewide system for ment agencies to implement the hate crime investigation and curricula. prosecution. • BJA’s Roll Call Video: These six efforts to address Responding to Hate Crimes. hate crimes are highlighted in The production of a 20-minute this monograph. Individually, each video covering the initial project constitutes an innovative response to and investigation effort by police and prosecutors of possible hate crimes. to improve systems for responding • The International Association to hate crimes. Collectively, how- of Chiefs of Police’s Respond- ever, the six projects demonstrate ing to Hate Crimes: A Police the creativity and the deep com- Officer’s Guide to Investigation mitment of local, state, and federal and Prevention. The publication law enforcement agencies in lead- of a compact guide designed as ing the nation’s effort to combat a quick reference to address bias-motivated crime.
2 II. The International Association of Chiefs of Police Summit: Hate Crime in America
In June 1998, the International critical issues involving hate Association of Chiefs of Police, in crimes, and breakout sessions, in partnership with OJP, convened a which participants engaged in 2-day national summit in Alexandria, facilitated discussions. Professors Virginia, titled Hate Crime in Amer- Jack Levin and Jack McDevitt, ica. Police, civil rights leaders, and both of Northeastern University, prosecutors were invited to explore presented the keynote address on the problem of hate crimes and their groundbreaking research on identify the most promising ways the typology of hate crime perpe- to address it. trators. Topics for the eight break- out sessions included communities, Past IACP summits on various schools, colleges and universities, forms of violent crime brought first responders, courts, law together police leaders and other enforcement leadership, victim experts to discuss pressing nation- response, and organized hate al law enforcement issues. The groups. In the breakout sessions, 1998 summit convened 110 partic- each group developed recommen- ipants representing police depart- dations to improve the understand- ments, federal law enforcement ing of, response to, and prevention agencies (namely, the Bureau of of hate crimes given its topic. Justice Assistance, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency In January 1999 the IACP pub- Prevention, the Office for Victims of lished Hate Crime in America: Crime (OVC), the Office of Com- Summit Recommendations. The munity Oriented Policing Services, publication provides comprehen- DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, the sive and insightful analysis of hate Community Relations Service, and crimes and a detailed compendium the Federal Bureau of Investigation of specific recommendations for (FBI)), state and county prosecu- action that were developed at the tors, educators, victim assistance summit. This publication can be professionals, physicians, civil obtained from the IACP Web site rights advocates, and scholars. at www.the iacp.org/pubinfo/ Research/hateamer.htm. The summit was structured to include both plenary sessions, in Collectively, three of the sum- which national experts discussed mit’s key recommendations serve
BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 3 ADDRESSING HATE CRIMES
as a blueprint for preventing and one officer or one unit in the responding to future hate crimes: law enforcement agency. This recommendation has been • Provide broad-based training for implemented in Maine and is police officers at three levels: in the process of being imple- first responders, investigators, mented in New Hampshire. and managers. This recommen- dation has been implemented The recommendations estab- through DOJ’s National Hate lished at the IACP 1998 summit Crime Training Initiative. will continue to serve as guide- • Introduce training for prosecu- posts for law enforcement leaders tors. APRI has developed a in developing innovative programs resource guide to meet this for responding to and preventing recommendation. hate crimes. • Assign responsibility for responding to hate crimes to
4 III. DOJ Law Enforcement Training: The Essential Building Block to an Effective Response to Hate Violence
factors in determining the response of both law enforcement and the PREVENTING AND COMBATING HATE community to the incident. The CRIMES ARE AMONG THE MOST investigation of the incident by IMPORTANT CHALLENGES FOR LAW either the initial responding offi- ENFORCEMENT AND FOR OUR NATION. cers or detectives can determine whether the case is prosecutable. VIOLENCE COMMITTED BECAUSE THE VIC- TIMS LOOK DIFFERENT, PRACTICE A DIF- The impact of officer training on FERENT FAITH, OR COME FROM A initial hate crime responses and subsequent investigations cannot DIFFERENT ETHNIC BACKGROUND THREAT- be overestimated. Although hate ENS AMERICA’S MOST CHERISHED IDEALS. crimes present significant problems LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE ON THE and challenges for the nation, the FRONT LINES AND PERFORM CRITICAL SER- number of hate crimes is small compared with that of other violent VICES IN RESPONDING TO BIAS-MOTIVATED crimes. To identify possible hate HATE CRIMES THAT OCCUR IN OUR COM- crimes, respond to victim and MUNITIES. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR community concerns, and conduct HATE CRIME LAW DEPENDS ON POLICE effective investigations, police offi- cers need both initial comprehen- OFFICERS. THAT IS WHY IT IS ESSENTIAL sive training and periodic refresher THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS RECEIVE courses. PROPER TRAINING. Officers who are inadequately —Janet Reno Attorney General trained to handle hate crimes may October 1999 fail to identify indicators of hate crimes, respond inappropriately to victims, fail to apprehend a perpe- trator who may strike again, exac- Law enforcement officers play erbate community tensions, and a key role in responding to hate undermine confidence in law crimes. Their actions in protecting enforcement. As law enforcement and assisting the victim at the agencies across the nation have scene of the hate crime, conduct- demonstrated, hate crime training ing the initial investigation, and must be thorough and widespread. reporting the matter to superiors as a possible hate crime are critical
BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 5 ADDRESSING HATE CRIMES
In response to this need for offi- Department of Treasury’s Federal cer training, BJA provided funds Law Enforcement Training Center, and support to three projects tar- and the International Association of geting law enforcement: Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training. The work- • DOJ’s National Hate Crime ing group met regularly over sum- Training Initiative. mer and fall 1997 to develop the • BJA’s Roll Call Video. four hate crime training curricula. • The IACP’s Responding to Hate On November 10, 1997, Crimes: A Police Officer’s Guide President Clinton announced the to Investigation and Prevention. training initiative at the White House The breadth of these projects Conference on Hate Crimes. The demonstrates law enforcement’s working group continued editing commitment and creativity in the curricula and began to develop developing a multifaceted approach the national train-the-trainer to hate crimes. program to be implemented in fall 1998. DOJ’s National Hate Crime Training Initiative The curricula for patrol and responding officers, investigators In 1997, under the direction of and detectives, and a mixed audi- Attorney General Janet Reno, DOJ ence of law enforcement profes- called together a working group sionals have been printed and comprising representatives of pros- distributed, and the fourth, for ecution, law enforcement, victim supervisors and command officers, services, and training agencies. is scheduled to be printed in 2000. The Attorney General charged the working group to develop four Each curriculum provides train- training curricula on hate crimes, ers with lesson plans and training each designed for a different level materials for an 8-hour course that of law enforcement: patrol and covers the following topics: responding officers, investigators • History of bias crimes. and detectives, supervisors and command officers, and an audi- • Identifying hate crimes: defini- ence of all levels of law enforce- tions, bias crime indicators, and ment professionals. The working offender typology. group included representatives of • Legal issues. several agencies within DOJ (the • Guidelines for an effective FBI, the Community Relations response. Service, and OVC) and additional federal and state agencies includ- • Investigative strategies and ing the National Association of guidelines for collection and Attorneys General, the U.S. preservation of evidence.
6 DOJ Law Enforcement Training
• Victim trauma. states and the District of Columbia. • Community strategies and The training teams were then relationships. assigned to attend one of the three regional train-the-trainer • Case studies. conferences. The curricula, using a mix of 1 teaching approaches including lec- The intensive, 2 ⁄2-day train-the- tures, class activities, and videos, trainer conferences were held in can be modified by trainers to fit September and October 1998 in a shorter time period other than Chicago, Orlando, and Phoenix. the full 8-hour presentation. The faculty, consisting of mem- bers of the DOJ Hate Crime Law The working group realized that Enforcement Working Group, to ensure that the hate crime cur- represented a diverse group of pro- ricula would be used widely and fessionals with extensive experience effectively, a national training ini- in hate crimes training. Conference tiative had to be developed and participants were extremely implemented. The working group impressed with both the skill and drew up a plan to train teams of energy of the instructors and the trainers who would commit to con- breadth and scope of the curricula. ducting a minimum of four hate crime trainings within their states. The first two steps in this process were to select the state training THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT OF THESE teams and to hold three regional SCORES OF TRAININGS TO THOUSANDS train-the-trainer conferences. OF OFFICERS CANNOT BE OVERESTIMAT-
The selection process began in ED. IN POLICE DEPARTMENTS THROUGHOUT early 1998 when DOJ sent letters THE COUNTRY OFFICERS NOW ARE PREPARED to key law enforcement leaders in TO RESPOND TO AND INVESTIGATE POTENTIAL every state, including the U.S. HATE CRIMES WITH SPEED, KNOWLEDGE, AND Attorney, the state attorney gener- al, the director of the state IACP SKILL.THE RESULT IS NOT ONLY MORE EFFEC- organization, and the director of TIVE ENFORCEMENT OF HATE CRIME LAWS the state law enforcement training BUT, JUST AS IMPORTANT, IMPROVED RESPECT organization. DOJ asked these FOR POLICE DEPARTMENTS FROM THE COM- leaders to recommend individuals who had expertise in law enforce- MUNITIES THEY SERVE. ment, victim assistance, civil rights —Nancy Gist advocacy, or community relations Director, Bureau of Justice Assistance to serve on their state’s training team. The working group then selected the training teams from BJA has since dedicated per- the recommendations. In total, sonnel and funding to coordinate 78 teams were selected from 50 local trainings to be conducted by
BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 7 ADDRESSING HATE CRIMES
train-the-trainer workshop partici- • Identification of bias indicators. pants. In the past 12 months, state • Initial response to a potential training teams in 31 states have hate crime. conducted more than 138 trainings. More than 4,000 law enforcement • Investigation of a potential hate and other professionals have crime. received training. • Collection and presentation of evidence. Refresher Training • Importance of understanding and Both BJA and the IACP recog- responding to victim trauma. nize that a truly comprehensive • Maintenance of good communi- approach to hate crime training ty relations when responding to must go beyond the classroom. hate crimes. Officers who do not receive the 8-hour training on hate crime inves- • Resources that are available to tigation and response need practical officers. and readily available resources for In early 2000, BJA will send a learning the basics of responding to copy of the video (in excess of hate crimes. Similarly, officers who 14,000 copies) to every state, have taken the full-day course will county, and municipal law enforce- benefit from periodic short refresh- ment agency in the nation. er programs. BJA and the IACP have met these needs with two Accompanying the video is a training projects, BJA’s Roll Call short instructor’s handbook, which Video and the IACP’s publication provides answers to frequently Responding to Hate Crimes: A asked questions about hate crimes Police Officer’s Guide to Investiga- and explains how to analyze bias tion and Prevention, production of indicators at a crime scene. The which was funded by BJA and OVC.
Roll Call Video: Responding to I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH BOTH Hate Crimes BJA’s Roll Call Video, a 20- CHIEF CARTER’S CLEAR AND CONCISE minute film, is designed to be PRESENTATION AND THE REALISTIC shown either in its entirety or in VIDEO SEGMENTS SHOWING ACTUAL shorter segments at roll calls or on CRIMES. THE VIDEO COVERS THE MAJOR other occasions when officers are gathered. The video begins with an AREAS OF HATE CRIME RESPONSE IN A introduction by Attorney General SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. SIMPLY PUT, Janet Reno and is narrated by Oak THIS IS A VERY EFFECTIVE TRAINING TOOL. Bluffs, Massachusetts, Police Chief Joseph Carter. It covers major —David A. Loranger, Detective Sergeant Saco, Maine, Police Department areas of hate crime investigation and response:
8 DOJ Law Enforcement Training
handbook also includes supple- • Strategies police departments mentary instructions. and officers can take in their communities to prevent hate BJA’s Roll Call Video is a quick crimes. and effective way to provide concrete information in a visually The small detachable pocket compelling format. Police officers guide is designed to be kept in an have found the video to be both officer’s pocket or cruiser for quick explicit and instructive. reference when an officer is called to respond to a possible hate crime. It Responding to Hate Crimes: addresses the key issues an officer A Police Officer’s Guide to faces at the scene of a hate crime. Investigation and Prevention The officer can quickly review the The IACP’s publication, Respon- essential components of effective ding to Hate Crimes: A Police hate crime response: the definition Officer’s Guide to Investigation and of hate crimes, actions to be taken Prevention, contains two training at the crime scene, key indicators of tools: a 12-page guidebook that hate crimes, and ways to meet the covers major components of an needs of hate crime victims. effective response to an investiga- tion of hate crimes and a smaller, detachable pocket guide outlining TO BE TRULY EFFECTIVE FOR LARGE specific investigative procedures, NUMBERS OF POLICE OFFICERS, designed to be placed in an offi- TRAINING MUST BE MULTILEVEL, MUL- cer’s pocket, under a visor, or on TIMEDIA, FLEXIBLE, AND PRACTICAL. a clipboard. THE ARRAY OF TRAINING OPTIONS AVAIL- The 12-page guide is intended ABLE TO POLICE OFFICERS—FROM AN to be kept in an officer’s briefcase 8-HOUR TRAINING AND A 20-MINUTE or cruiser. The booklet includes clearly written comprehensive VIDEO TO AN 8-PAGE BOOKLET AND A checklists, and covers the essential SMALL POCKET INSERT—MEETS EACH OF components of an effective THESE CRITERIA.WE NOW, FOR THE FIRST response to hate crimes: TIME, HAVE THE TOOLS WITH WHICH TO • Definition of hate crimes. ENSURE THAT ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFI- • Difference between hate crimes CERS THROUGHOUT OUR NATION RECEIVE and bias incidents. NEEDED INFORMATION AND TRAINING ON • Key indicators of bias motivation. RESPONDING TO AND INVESTIGATING HATE • Steps to take at the scene of a CRIMES. possible hate crime. —Mike Robinson Superintendent of Michigan State Police • Effective approaches to assist- President, IACP ing victims of hate crimes.
BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 9 ADDRESSING HATE CRIMES
The IACP, with funding from BJA the pocket insert) and distribute and OVC, plans to print 450,000 them to police departments and copies of the publication (including victims advocates across the nation.
10 IV. The American Prosecutors Research Institute’s Resource Guide for Prosecutors
group, together with staff from the PROSECUTORS HAVE TREMENDOUS APRI, is in the process of writing a POTENTIAL TO PREVENT HATE CRIMES resource guide that will be pub- lished in early 2000. AND RESTORE JUSTICE TO BOTH VIC- TIMS AND COMMUNITIES. WHILE MANY When completed, the more than PROSECUTORS HAVE GAINED SOME EXPERI- 100-page resource guide will be bound in a 3-ring binder to facilitate ENCE WITH THE PROSECUTION OF HATE updating (such as new legislation CRIME CASES, MOST PROSECUTING OFFI- and court decisions). It will cover CERS DO NOT HAVE WRITTEN POLICIES ON several issues that arise during HANDLING HATE CRIMES. hate crime prosecutions: —APRI Project Overview • Working with outside agencies and organizations. The goal of the American • Case screening and investigation. Prosecutors Research Institute pro- • Case assignment and preparation. ject, supported by funding from • Victim and witness impact and BJA, is to provide prosecuting support. offices with a comprehensive resource guide for responding to • Trial preparation. and preventing hate crimes. In • Sentencing alternatives. January 1999 APRI established an • Prevention efforts. 18-member advisory group to create a resource guide and devel- APRI plans to distribute a copy op training for prosecutors. The of the resource guide to all 3,100 advisory group includes 10 local local and state prosecutor’s offices prosecutors as well as representa- in the country. tives from the IACP, the Anti- Defamation League, the Center on By highlighting model protocols Hate and Extremism, the National and procedures from offices Center for Victims of Crime, Facing around the nation, the resource History, a county sheriff’s office, guide will help prosecutor’s offices the FBI, and the DOJ Community develop policies and procedures on Relations Service. The advisory handling hate crime investigations
BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 11 ADDRESSING HATE CRIMES
and prosecutions. It also will pro- initial effort will be to hold a train- vide a comprehensive roadmap to ing conference for teams from individual prosecutors who are prosecutorial districts. The teams handling hate crime cases. Both will include prosecutors, police offi- prosecutors who are working on cers, and victim service profes- their first hate crime case and sionals. The training will follow a more experienced prosecutors of team approach. Investigation, vic- bias crimes will find the resource tim outreach and support, and guide helpful. prosecution will be integrated into one coordinated system that will After the resource guide is pub- provide more effective enforce- lished, APRI and its advisory group ment of hate crime laws and will turn its attention to the devel- increased responsiveness to both opment of training on hate crime victims and the community. response and prosecution. The
12 V. The Maine Civil Rights Officers Project: A Coordinated System of Training, Reporting, Investigation, and Prosecution
bias incidents to the Attorney General’s Office and coordinate THE TANGIBLE RESULTS OF MAINE’S the response of their departments EFFORTS HAVE BEEN EXTRAORDINARY— with the enforcement efforts of A HIGH LEVEL OF REPORTING OF POTEN- the Attorney General’s Office and TIAL HATE CRIMES BY POLICE AGENCIES other prosecutorial agencies.
AND A LARGE NUMBER OF ENFORCEMENT The program was put into place CASES BROUGHT SUCCESSFULLY TO COURT in fall 1992 when the Maine attor- BY PROSECUTORS. BUT PERHAPS EVEN ney general sent a letter to every police chief and sheriff in the state MORE IMPORTANT HAS BEEN THE STRONG requesting that he or she designate UNIFIED MESSAGE SENT BY LAW ENFORCE- an officer as the civil rights officer MENT AT ALL LEVELS THAT HATE CRIMES for the department and send the WILL NOT BE TOLERATED WITHIN OUR STATE. officer to a full-day training session conducted by the Attorney —Andrew Ketterer Attorney General, State of Maine General’s Office.
The Attorney General’s Office conducts two types of training: full- Maine is 1 of 15 states with a day biannual trainings and certifi- civil hate crime law. This law cation of designated civil rights authorizes the state attorney gener- officers and shorter trainings at the al to obtain restraining orders or department, regional, or police injunctions against persons who academy level. Since 1992, the engage in bias-motivated violence, Attorney General’s Office has con- threats, or property damage. In ducted full-day training sessions 1992, with support from BJA, the for more than 670 civil rights offi- Maine Attorney General’s Office cers from law enforcement depart- designed a coordinated enforce- ments located throughout the state ment system with local, county, and more than 80 shorter trainings campus, and state police agencies. for local and regional departments This system relies on designated and at police training academies. civil rights officers from each More than 1,500 officers have of these law enforcement agen- attended these latter trainings. cies to report hate crimes and
BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 13 ADDRESSING HATE CRIMES
As of fall 1999, at least 1 civil whether to pursue the matter as a rights officer had been trained and possible civil rights violation. If the certified in 147 of the 153 police matter is pursued, an assistant departments at the municipal, attorney general is assigned to county, state, and campus levels. work with the civil rights officer Early in 2000 the New Hampshire from the reporting department to Attorney General’s Office will begin coordinate the investigation. The implementation of a similar civil Attorney General’s Office then rights officers system. notifies the county district attorney and the U.S. Attorney if the matter The Maine enforcement system appears to violate either state hate coordinates the response of police crime laws or federal criminal civil and prosecutors at local, state, and rights laws. These actions result in federal levels. When civil rights investigations that are thorough officers report possible hate crimes and efficient and are coordinated to the Attorney General’s Office, among three levels of prosecutors. that office quickly determines
14 VI. Conclusion
is not over. Hate crimes present a challenge to law enforcement to WHILE LAW ENFORCEMENT’S ACCOM- design mechanisms and systems PLISHMENTS HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT, for responding to the divisive and THEY ARE MADE WITH A KEEN UNDER- destructive impact of hate vio- STANDING OF THE NEED FOR PERSEVER- lence. Recently, law enforcement, with financial, technical, and pro- ANCE AND A CONSTANT RENEWED fessional support from DOJ, has COMMITMENT TO PERSEVERE IN AMERICA’S mobilized to meet this challenge by FIGHT AGAINST HATE AND VIOLENCE. designing comprehensive and flexi- —Janet Reno ble training programs, developing Attorney General protocols for fast and effective response, and implementing sys- tems for coordinated enforcement Unfortunately the nation’s work and prosecution. in confronting bias and prejudice and the violence that they engender
BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 15 VII. For More Information
Anti-Defamation League Facing History and Ourselves 823 United Nations Plaza National Foundation New York, NY 10017 16 Hurd Road Phone: 212–490–2525 Brookline, MA 02146 Phone: 617–232–1595 Arab American Institute Fax: 617–232–0281 918 16th Street NW., Suite 601 Washington, DC 20006 Federal Bureau of Investigation Phone: 202–429–9210 J. Edgar Hoover Building Fax: 202–429–9214 10th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Bureau of Justice Assistance Washington, DC 20535 Clearinghouse Phone: 202–324–1143 P.O. Box 6000 Rockville, MD 20849–6000 Federal Bureau of Investigation Phone: 1–800–688–4252 Criminal Justice Information Fax: 301–519–5212 Services Division E-mail: [email protected] Attn: Uniform Crime Reports 1000 Custer Hollow Road Bureau of Justice Statistics Clarksburg, WV 26306 810 Seventh Street NW. Phone: 304–625–4995 Washington, DC 20531 Fax: 304–625–5394 Phone: 202–307–0765 Fax: 202–307–5846 Human Rights Campaign 1101 14th Street NW., Suite 200 Community Relations Service Washington, DC 20005 U.S. Department of Justice Phone: 202–628–4160 600 E Street NW., Suite 2000 Fax: 202–347–5323 Washington, DC 20530 Phone: 202–305–2935 International Association of Fax: 202–305–3009 Chiefs of Police 515 North Washington Street Disability Law Center Alexandria, VA 22314–2357 11 Beacon Street, Suite 925 Phone: 703–836–6767 Boston, MA 02108 Fax: 703–836–4543 Phone: 617–723–8455 Fax: 617–723–9125
BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 17 ADDRESSING HATE CRIMES
National Asian Pacific American National Network of Violence Legal Consortium Prevention 1140 Connecticut Avenue NW., 55 Chapel Street Suite 1200 Newton, MA 02158 Washington, DC 20036 Phone: 617–969–7100 Phone: 202–296–2300 Fax: 617–244–3436 Fax: 202–296–2318 National Women’s Law Center National Conference of Christians 11 Dupont Circle NW., Suite 800 and Jews Washington, DC 20036 71 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1100 Phone: 202–588–5180 New York, NY 10003 Fax: 202–588–5185 Phone: 212–206–0006 Fax: 212–255–6177 Office for Victims of Crime 810 Seventh Street NW. National Congress of American Washington, DC 20531 Indians Phone: 202–307–5983 2010 Massachusetts Avenue NW., Fax: 202–514–6383 Second Floor Washington, DC 20036 Office of Juvenile Justice and Phone: 202–466–7767 Delinquency Prevention Fax: 202–466–7797 810 Seventh Street NW. Washington, DC 20531 National Council of La Raza Phone: 202–307–5911 1111 19th Street NW., Suite 1000 Fax: 202–307–2093 Washington, DC 20036 Phone: 202–785–1670 President’s Initiative for Fax: 202–776–1792 One America The Old Executive Office Building National Criminal Justice Washington, DC 20503 Association Phone: 202–395–1010 444 North Capitol Street NW., Fax: 202–395–1020 Suite 618 Washington, DC 20001 Simon Wiesenthal Center Phone: 202–624–1440 9760 West Pico Boulevard Fax: 202–508–3859 Los Angeles, CA 90035 Phone: 310–553–9036 National Gay and Lesbian Fax: 310–553–8007 Task Force 2320 17th Street NW. U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Washington, DC 20009–2702 624 Ninth Street NW., Phone: 202–332–6483 Suite 700 Fax: 202–332–0207 Washington, DC 20425 Phone: 202–337–0382 Fax: 202–376–7558
18 For More Information
U.S. Department of Education Violence Against Women Office 600 Independence Avenue SW. 800 K Street NW., Suite 900 Washington, DC 20202 Washington, DC 20531 Phone: 202–205–5557 Phone: 202–616–8894 Fax: 202–205–5381 Fax: 202–307–3911
U.S. Department of Housing and Women’s Legal Defense Fund Urban Development 1875 Connecticut Avenue NW., 451 Seventh Street NW., Suite 710 Room 10000 Washington, DC 20009 Washington, DC 20531 Phone: 202–986–2600 Phone: 202–708–0417 Fax: 202–986–2539 Fax: 202–708–2476
BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 19 Bureau of Justice Assistance Information
General Information Callers may contact the U.S. Department of Justice Response Center for general informa- tion or specific needs, such as assistance in submitting grant applications and information on training. To contact the Response Center, call 1–800–421–6770 or write to 1100 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20005.
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