article

State Attorney Andrew Bain

ORLANDO, Fla. – On Tuesday morning, the State Attorney’s Office for the Ninth Judicial Circuit announced the creation of a new hate crimes task force.

The establishment stems from a $1 million grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) fiscal year 2024 Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Program within the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs.

The Hate Crime Task Force will focus on a number of things:

• Raising public awareness
• Improving reporting mechanisms
• Improving investigations
• Increasing the prosecution of hate crimes

The task force will aim to address the issue of underreported hate crimes in the state of Florida.

State data from 2022 showed only 58 of Florida’s 254 law enforcement agencies reported hate crimes, revealing a wide gap in hate crime data collection, reporting and victim support, according to the Attorney General’s Office Florida “Hate Crimes in Florida 2022.” report.

The objection of the Hate Crimes Task Force, according to the State Prosecutor’s Office:

• Reducing hate crime incidents: Work with stakeholders to mitigate hate crime incidents, particularly those based on race/ethnicity and religion.
• Raising public awareness and reporting: In partnership with the Stono Institute for Freedom, Justice and Security, the task force will engage in community outreach to educate the public.
• Facilitating investigations: The task force will work closely with local law enforcement to strengthen the identification, investigation and prosecution of hate crimes.
• Safe justice for victims: Prosecutors will be trained to effectively identify and prosecute hate crimes, ensuring justice for those affected by bias crimes.

The key initiatives of the Hate Crimes Task Force, according to the State Prosecutor’s Office:

• Online Hate Crime Reporting System: Establish an online portal and telephone reporting system with the Stono Institute for Freedom, Justice and Security to collect, verify and forward hate crime reports to appropriate law enforcement agencies.
• Mediation for non-violent hate crimes: Facilitate community mediation between victims and offenders in appropriate cases of non-violent hate crimes to prevent escalation and future violence.
• Law enforcement training: Law enforcement agencies will receive comprehensive training on hate crime laws and reporting requirements.
• Training of the prosecutor: Prosecutors will receive specialized training on identifying hate crimes and overcoming the challenges associated with prosecuting bias crimes.
• Community Relations and Victim Support: The taskforce will host events to inform the public about their rights in relation to hate crime laws and ways to report hate crime. Trauma-informed mental health services will also be available to victims of hate crime.

Related story: ‘Disturbing spin’ in threats, hate crimes in Florida, US attorney says

The purpose and impact of the Hate Crimes Task Force, according to the State Prosecutor’s Office:

The task force’s goal is to prevent hate incidents and crimes through public education and holding offenders accountable. It aims to provide crucial support to victims, while improving public safety and encouraging tolerance within communities. The Crown Prosecution Service says they will ensure law enforcement plays a key role in deterring hate crime and assisting affected individuals and groups.

“Hate crimes are not just attacks on individuals, they are attacks on the fabric of our community. With this grant, we are strengthening our capacity to fight hate crime, support victims and build a fairer and safer society. Establishment of this working group. has been a priority for us because of the recent incidents of hate crime that we have seen both nationally and in our own community. We take seriously the law enforcement agencies in our community that already report hate crimes, and we look forward to working with all agencies to investigate and prosecute the criminals behind these acts,” said State Attorney Andrew Bain.

For more information you can visit Office of Justice Programs website.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: