Following an increase in incidents meant to intimidate, harass, or otherwise show a bias toward a certain group, Westchester County Executive George Latimer signed legislation requiring local police departments to report all perceived incidents in an attempt to track, and combat, these heinous acts. Currently, federal and state laws do not address the overwhelming majority of serious hate incidents, which do not satisfy the elements of a crime but are motivated by a person's actual or perceived membership in a protected class.
Latimer said: “Here in Westchester, we are proud of our differences – for it’s our diversity which gives us our strength. This legislation comes at a time when incidents meant to divide us seem to be happening at an alarming rate. To better understand what we can do to deter them, we must have accurate data to understand where and when they are happening. I thank our County Police, the various municipal police departments in Westchester, the Board of Legislators and our Human Rights Commission for their efforts on this front.”
Read more here: http://ow.ly/2NWr50JmtbM
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up