PHILADELPHIA – On November 13, 2019, the Anti-Defamation League (“ADL”), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (“USAO”), and the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center (“DVIC”) hosted a training for over 200 law enforcement officials in the region on responding to hate crimes and domestic terror. The conference included briefings on recent major domestic terror incidents and keynote remarks by Judy Shepard commemorating the 10th anniversary of the 2009 Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Attendees of the event, entitled “Protecting Our Communities: Responding to Hate Crimes and Domestic Terrorism,” were welcomed by ADL’s Regional Director Nancy K. Baron-Baer, Deputy U.S. Attorney Louis Lappen, and Acting Philadelphia Police Commissioner Christine Coulter.
“Hate of all kinds is surging, and extremists across the ideological spectrum feel emboldened,” said Nancy K. Baron-Baer, Regional Director. “Over the past few years, we’ve seen horrific attacks on nearly every community: African Americans, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Latinx, LGBT Americans, Sikhs and more. Law enforcement professionals stand on the front lines to protect citizens from these unthinkable acts of hate every day. ADL is proud to assist law enforcement in their critical work to effectively prevent and respond to extremism, terrorism and hate crimes. We are once again honored to partner with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Delaware Valley Intelligence Center, along with our co-sponsors at the PA Governor’s Office for Homeland Security and the Philadelphia Police Department, to offer this important training.”
“We must always be vigilant and committed to deterring hate crimes, and to respond swiftly when they do occur,” said U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain. “Fortunately, we have seen some positive results from our vigilance and commitment, as the number of hate crime incidents reported to the FBI decreased slightly from 2017 to 2018, according to the FBI’s just-released 2018 Hate Crime Statistics report. We must now build on this success with renewed commitment. The United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners, particularly the FBI’s Civil Rights Division, are working tirelessly to ensure the security of all people in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. But we cannot succeed without the help of everyone in the community. If you see something that could lead to violence, you need to say something and call the authorities. And when you call, we will be there to help.”
“Crimes motivated by hate impact us most severely,” said Acting Philadelphia Police Commissioner Christine Coulter. “They cause immeasurable harm to the individual victims, as well as to society as a whole. The Police Department is committed to working with our partners to eliminate hate-inspired crimes and offenses from the communities we serve, and is privileged to have contributed to the development and implementation of this training.”
The summit focused on preparing law enforcement to respond to a variety of threats facing communities that are frequently the target of hate crimes. The keynote address was delivered by Judy Shepard, whose son Matthew was murdered in 1998 in an anti-LGBT hate crime in Wyoming. The FBI presented on the 2015 Charleston Church Shooting, in which 9 African Americans were murdered in their church by a white supremacist. Cynthia Deitle of the Matthew Shepard Foundation provided a briefing on best practices in investigating and prosecuting hate crimes. The summit also included a presentation from Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Barrett on the “Tacony Dungeon” case, the first hate crime prosecuted under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act for a crime that targeted individuals based on disability.
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ADL is the world’s leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of bigotry, its timeless mission is to secure justice and fair treatment to all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education and fighting hate online, ADL is the first call when acts of bigotry occur. ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate. More at www.adl.org.
United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is one of the 93 federal prosecutors’ offices in the United States. Each United States Attorney’s Office is part of the United States Department of Justice. In the Eastern District, the Office represents the United States in criminal and civil law matters filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Twitter: @USAO_EDPA and @USAttyMcSwain
The Delaware Valley Intelligence Center, located in South Philadelphia, utilizes a collaborative and proactive approach to forecast and prevent threats to the region, while ensuring the protection of people’s civil rights and civil liberties.