NCJ Number
181775
Date Published
January 1999
Length
63 pages
Annotation
A 1998 meeting sponsored by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and attended by more than 100 police executives, community leaders, citizen activists, criminal justice system officials, and scholars explored the nature of hate crime, examined ways to address it, and produced 46 policy and program recommendations.
Abstract
The meeting also produced a Law Enforcement Action Agenda that consisted of 12 actions to help police address hate crimes. The 18 recommendations to prevent hate crimes focused on increasing public awareness, educating children and young adults, educating community groups and leaders, and encouraging strategic planning and collaborative problem solving. The 22 recommendations for responding to hate crimes focused on developing shared definitions of hate incidents and hate crimes, eliminating barriers to hate crime reporting, providing adequate support to victims, establishing mechanisms for repairing harms, developing more effective sanctions, and enhancing professional training. Research recommendations focused on the need for basic research and the evaluation of outcomes of prevention and response efforts. Recommended actions for police included establishing a zero-tolerance atmosphere in every police agency, using community policing strategies to prevent and respond to hate crimes, and engaging the media as partners in preventing hate crimes and restoring victimized communities. Reference notes and lists of staff and meeting participants