14 THE QUEENS COURIER • JUNE 3, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Meng commends AG for taking action to combat hate crimes
City program aims to bring community approach to combating hate crimes
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
edavenport@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
In an eff ort to combat hate crimes in
New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio and
Offi ce for the Prevention of Hate Crimes
(OPHC) Executive Director Deborah
Lauter announced a new initiative that is
meant to let the community help in these
matters.
Called Partners Against the Hate
(P.A.T.H.) FORWARD, the program
will provide funding and support to six
anchor organizations to promote community
based approaches to reduce hate
crimes as well as expanding hate crime
reporting and services for victims.
“In New York City, we do not tolerate
hate, violence or bigotry in any form,”
Mayor Bill de Blasio said. “As we drive a
recovery for all of us, we must lift up the
community leaders standing up against
America’s hate epidemic. We are taking
action to make sure the hate in our
beloved city is eliminated — once and
for all.”
Th e P.A.T.H. FORWARD program will
include $3 million in funding for distribution
to the following organizations selected
by the city: the Anti-Violence Project,
the Arab American Association of New
York, the Asian American Federation,
the Hispanic Federation, the Jewish
Community Relations Council and the
67th Precinct Clergy Council. Th ese
organizations will work closely with the
OPHC and other city agencies to create
a comprehensive, community-based
approach to combat and preventing hate
crimes in the city.
Th e anchors of the initiative will also
be judges in awarding OPHC Hate
Crime Prevention Innovation Grants,
which will be distributed on a revolving
basis throughout the year in an eff ort to
encourage individuals, organizations and
academic institutions to use their entrepreneurial
skills to develop projects that
aim to reduce hate violence and promote
community respect.
“Th ere is not one way to stop hate:
it takes a multi-pronged approach that
includes strong laws and their enforcement,
education to stop biases that fuel
hate violence and healthy community
relations,” Lauter said. “Th rough the
Offi ce for the Prevention of Hate Crimes’s
P.A.T.H. FORWARD initiative, New York
City is committing signifi cant resources to
support the diverse communities that are
the most vulnerable to acts of hate. We are
optimistic that this initiative will have a
signifi cant, long-term impact that ensures
all New Yorkers feel respected and safe.”
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Congresswoman Grace Meng commended
U.S. Attorney General Merrick
Garland for putting forward a plan to better
combat hate incidents.
Th e steps are outlined by the attorney
general in a memorandum released on
Th ursday, May 27, and are the result of
Meng’s COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act and
a 30-day review of how the Department
of Justice can better use its resources to
counter hate crimes and hate incidents.
President Biden signed Meng’s bill into
law last month.
“Th e ongoing hate and violence against
Asian Americans continues to terrorize the
Asian American community and we are
now seeing a disturbing and despicable rise
in anti-Semitic attacks against the Jewish
community,” said Meng, a member of the
House Appropriations Subcommittee
on Commerce, Justice, Science and
Related Agencies which oversees
funding for the Department
of Justice. “Let me be clear:
Th ere is no place for hate
and violence anywhere
in our society. It must
not be tolerated, and we
must eradicate it in all its
forms.”
The attorney
general’s memo
r a n d u m
c o n t a i n s
provisions from Meng’s bill
including the following:
• Th e designation of a
person to facilitate the
review of hate crimes.
Th e attorney general is
assigning the Chief of
the Criminal Section of
the Civil Rights Division
to fi ll this role.
• Providing
resources and coordination
to combat
hate crimes
and incidents;
a deputy associate attorney general will
lead eff orts to create and coordinate the
department’s anti-hate crime and incident
resources, including implementing
the act’s provisions to issue guidance on
online reporting, hate crimes reporting,
data collection, creating state-run hate
crime hotlines and coordinating with the
secretary of Health and Human Services
and others to raise awareness of hate
crimes.
• Establishing a new full-time language
access coordinator within the department
in recognition that language access is a key
barrier to the reporting of hate crimes and
incidents. Th e deputy attorney general will
oversee the establishment of this role.
Th e memorandum also prioritizes reinvigoration
of the Justice Department’s
Community Relations Service which
Meng has called for, and which she
separately discussed with Garland during
a recent House hearing.
File photo courtesy of Meng’s offi ce
Congresswoman Grace Meng
Photo credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Offi ce
Mayor Bill de Blasio and Offi ce for the Prevention of Hate Crimes (OPHC) Executive Director Deborah Lauter announce the launch of the Partners Against
the Hate (P.A.T.H.) FORWARD initiative to help combat bias-motivated incidents and hate crimes in New York City.
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