DOJ Brings Stakeholders Together to Prevent Hate Crimes
Amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Department of Justice remains concerns about hate crimes in the United States as well as around the world.
“As I see in my daily threat briefings, there has been a significant increase in the volume and frequency of threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities across our country,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.
The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Division held a virtual forum to review ways DOJ is fighting hate crimes and to mark the successful launch of the United Against Hate (UAH) initiative.
The UAH initiative launched in September 2022 in all 94 United States Attorney’s Offices (USAOs). The aim was to reduce hate crimes by holding discussions with the community and local law enforcement, as well as building trust and deepening ties between federal, state, and local officers.
USAOs hosted more than 200 UAH programs in the initial year and over 6,000 people attended.
“We know that combating hate crimes requires a coordinated, united effort. We also know that the time to build relationships and trust between law enforcement and community partners is before an incident or crisis occurs,” said Attorney General Garland at the virtual event.
“We know that prosecutions alone are not enough to eliminate the crisis of hate root and branch. Prevention and public education are key. Trust between communities, law and enforcement is also necessary,” said Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Kristin Clarke in her remarks at the summit.
Also attending the virtual event were victims of hate crimes and families of victims who discussed their experiences and how the incidents changed their lives.
One family member attending was Houston Police Department Officer Jamie Byrd-Grant, who discussed in a fireside chat with Assistant Attorney General Clarke how the murder of her father James Byrd Jr. in a hate crime, influenced her decision to join law enforcement.
U.S. Attorneys for the Western District of North Carolina, the Middle District of Florida, the District of Idaho, and the District of New Jersey also joined as did representatives of civil rights organizations.
Grant Awarded
In addition to the forum, DOJ recently announced a $38 million grant for law enforcement and community programs nationwide. The money is to help communities heal from hate crimes of the past, investigate and prosecute current cases, and prevent future hate crimes.
Hate Crimes Rise Again in 2022
The forum and grant announcement come as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently released its 2022 Crime in the Nation statistics.
The FBI says hate crimes were up almost seven percent from 2021, rising for the fifth straight year. The actual number could be even higher as not all law enforcement agencies report, and some victims are reluctant to classify their crimes as a hate crime.
Of those reporting, almost 60 percent of hate crimes targeted victims based on their race, ethnicity, or ancestry, with Black people among the most frequently targeted. Antisemitic crimes rose 25 percent, accounting for over half of all reported religion-based hate crimes.
Given this data and the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Biden Administration recently asked DOJ, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Department of Education, to step up efforts to prevent and respond to instances of antisemitism and Islamophobia on college campuses and other venues nationwide.