HomeMy WebLinkAboutCommunity response to hate PowerPointResponding to Hate
The Role of Human or Civil Rights Commissions in Hate Crime Response
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Roles and Community Response
The responsibility of investigating a reported hate crime belongs to law enforcement.
The responsibility of charging and prosecuting the offenders belongs to the prosecuting attorney.
The
role of facilitating a proper response can belong to a local Human Rights or Civil Rights Commission (HRC).
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Why a response is important
Silence means acceptance
If we do not respond to hate crime, we send a message to the victim and perpetrator that intolerance is okay.
A report released by the U.S. Department of Justice
and the U.S. Attorney General in 2001 indicates that many hate crimes are escalations of other incidents that do not get a proper response (Ashcroft, 5).
A U.S. Department of Justice
2005 study of hate crime reporting indicates that only about 40% of all bias motivated incidents are reported to authorities (Harlow, 2).
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Iowa Demographic Outlook
The population of Iowa is very rapidly becoming more diverse.
The Latino-American population has increased by 30% since 2000
The Asian-American community has grown by 19%
African
American community has grown by nearly 10%
Estimates project that by 2010, 90% of all new growth in Iowa will be attributed to minority groups.
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Hate Crime Trends
African Americans are the most frequent victims of hate crime in Iowa, accounting for nearly 60% of reported hate crime victims. Homosexual men are the second most targeted group (Iowa
DPS).
Hate Crime against Latinos nationally is up 30% in the last 5 years (FBI).
Latinos account for the largest and fastest growing minority in Iowa.
The number of annually reported
hate crimes in Iowa is around 30, except for a jump in 2002 when 48 hate incidents were reported (Iowa DPS).
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Hate Crime in Iowa
Des Moines (Assault) Jassimen Dobbins and Angela Wade, both 19, were charged with first-degree burglary and third-degree arson for allegedly beating a gay teenager with a bottle, stabbing
him with a fork, and stealing $5, his ATM card and his driver's license before setting his bag on fire.
Ottumwa (Criminal Mischief) Matthew A. Lanman, 17, was charged with fourth-degree
criminal mischief as a hate crime for allegedly hanging a dead opossum and a note insulting Blacks and Latinos in a school bathroom.
Marshalltown (Vandalism, Theft) Racial slurs and
graffiti were spray painted and the family’s Christmas presents stolen at the home of a minority family supporting Barack Obama.
Cedar Rapids (Vandalism) Racial Slurs, swastikas, and
threats including a hangman’s platform and the words “Leave Now” were painted on the home of a couple living on SW Mallory Street on Christmas Eve.
A sample of Hate Crime in Iowa for 2007:
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Elements of an Effective Response
Reporting
Reported to local law enforcement, or authority for investigation.
Receiving and/or publicizing reports from law enforcement of bias related incidents.
Victim Support
Reassurance,
safety, and listening
Developing a list of procedures or do’s and don’ts
Connecting to resources
Iowa Attorney General’s Victim Assistance Program
Assessing needs (Medical, Emotional,
et cetera)
Public Denunciation
Action that condemns the hate crime, takes a position against intolerance, supports the targeted community
Should be proportionate to the crime
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What a Human or Civil Rights Commission can do
Open up a dialogue with community partners such as law enforcement, city officials, organizations and schools about networking against bias.
Sharing incident reports
Law enforcement
can notify HRC or City, set up communication chain with other community stakeholders
Work with schools on combating bias and hate.
Many universities have bias response teams (UNI)
Work
with community schools to enforce the Safe Schools Law
Discuss obtaining training on hate crimes such as is offered by the US DOJ Community Relations Service (see resources).
Law Enforcement
Discuss
establishing a response plan and policy
Similar to fire plan
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Best Practices - Cities
Advocate to the city council to create a statement and proclamation to support social and racial tolerance and end bigotry.
Oak Park, Illinois
Create a pledge to diversity or racial
justice and encourage people or business to sign on.
Beloit, Wisconsin
Establishing and publishing a hate crime response plan.
Fargo, ND; Edina, MN; Shoreview MN
Start a bias crime network
or task force
Flint, Michigan
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Some cities have established a “network” against bias.
Incorporates all the elements of hate crime response.
Consists of representatives of community stakeholders such as schools, city
government, civic organizations.
Set goals to facilitate hate crime reporting.
Sharing incident reports with other organizations.
In the incident of a hate crime, they will have someone
available to contact and support the victim.
Would determine and plan an appropriate public response.
Best Practice
Hate Crime Network or Task Force
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Public Response
Develop a Toolkit
Iowa Civil Rights Commission Toolkit
Promotion and Prevention
Schools
Safe schools law
Student project resources
Community Projects
Community project resources
Distributing Information and Educating
Brochures, news articles about laws and
victim resources
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Resources
Anti-Defamation League
Blueprint for combating bias and hate crime
Regional Office: Omaha, Nebraska
Southern Poverty Law Center
Intelligence Report
Tolerance.org
Stopthehate.org
Campus
Hate Crime Resource
U.S. Dept. of Justice – Community Relations Service
Regional Office: Kansas City, MO
Statistics
FBI Uniform Crime Report
Iowa Department of Public Safety Uniform
Crime Report
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Sources
Ashcroft, John; Daniels, Deborah J.; Nedelkoff, Richard R. Hate Crime on Campus: The problem and efforts to confront it. Bureau of Justice Assistance. October, 2001.
FBI Uniform Crime
Report, 2006.
Iowa Department of Public Safety Uniform Crime Report, 2005.
Harlow, Caroline Wolf. Hate Crime Reported by Victims and Police. Bureau of Justice Statistics. November 2005.
Lockyer,
Bill. Reporting Hate Crimes. California Attorney General’s Office. 2003.
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