A subcommittee of a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety will look at combating hate crimes.
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday issued a memo to 94 U.S. Attorney’s offices and DOJ component heads providing an update about the task force, according to a DOJ media release.
As part of that update, the attorney general announced the creation of task force subcommittees that will focus on a variety of issues including developing violent crime reduction strategies, supporting prevention and re-entry efforts, updating charging and sentencing policies, reviewing asset forfeiture guidance, reducing illegal immigration and human trafficking, combating hate crimes and evaluating marijuana enforcement policy.
The announcement was made just three days after 13 U.S. senators led by Maria Cantwell, D- Wash., called for the Trump administration to launch a new presidential task force to prevent hate violence. She referenced a March 3 shooting and injuring of a Sikh man in Kent as one of the reasons to form a task force.
“We are pleased to see the Department of Justice taking the necessary first step to prevent hate violence and look forward to additional concrete action,” said Rajdeep Singh Jolly, interim managing director of programs at the Sikh Coalition, in a Thursday media release. “As Americans, we all must do everything in our power to prevent the loss of lives and loved ones to hate, and the DOJ must ensure that its hate crime subcommittee is fully resourced and functional, not something that merely exists on paper.”
Since Sept. 11, 2001, the Sikh Coalition estimates that a Sikh American is hundreds of times more likely to be the victim of a hate crime than the average American, often because Sikhs wear turbans and maintain unshorn beards.
“The DOJ task force should be non-partisan and should use its convening power to promote long-term collaboration between government agencies, civil society groups and communities that are targeted by hate crimes,” said Singh Jolly.
Sessions issued the following statement about hate crimes.
“We must also protect the civil rights of all Americans, and we will not tolerate threats or acts of violence targeting any person or community in this country on the basis of their religious beliefs or background,” he said. “Accordingly, the Hate Crimes Subcommittee will develop a plan to appropriately address hate crimes to better protect the rights of all Americans.”
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