CONCORD, New Hampshire – On Thursday, the New Hampshire Department of Safety brought together partners from State, municipal and community organizations for an open discussion and to provide guidance on how to combat hate crimes.
According to the New Hampshire Department of Justice, reports of hate crimes in the state have grown steadily since the agency established the Civil Rights Unit six years ago. Alleged hate crimes related to race, sexual orientation and other marginalized groups have been reported.
“Conversations like the one we had today are critical as we work to build and strengthen bridges across diverse sectors of the Granite State. Our aim is to work collectively and encourage hate crime reporting so that we can combat acts of hate and keep New Hampshire safe and welcoming for people of all backgrounds,” said Attorney General John M. Formella. “Preventing and responding to hate crimes is one of our most important shared priorities across law enforcement, and we will use every tool at our disposal. This is a team effort and we need a whole-community approach to truly be successful in our fight against bias and hate.”
Thursday’s seminar featured a keynote address offered by Attorney General Formella and an opening discussion highlighting the elements of hate crimes presented by Director Sean Locke of the New Hampshire Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Unit.
There were two panel discussions, one featuring members of law enforcement and a second featuring representatives from multiple community organizations. Panelists included Chief Mark Newport of the Portsmouth Police Department, Chief Matthew Canfield of the Laconia Police Department, Supervisory Special Agent Timothy DeMann of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Eva Castillo of the New Hampshire Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees, Scott Spradling of The Spradling Group, and Giles Bissonnette, Legal Director of the ACLU of New Hampshire.
The panels were moderated by Director Sean Locke of the New Hampshire Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Unit and Executive Director Ahni Malachi of the New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights. Rabbi Robin Nafshi of Temple Beth Jacob in Concord provided the closing address.
“Today’s seminar reaffirms the importance of collaborative efforts between the State, local law enforcement and members of the community,” said New Hampshire Department of Safety Assistant Commissioner Eddie Edwards. “Stopping hate crimes requires courage, commitment and communication. Conversations like this require truthfulness and a willingness to act to really impact change.”
The seminar was hosted by the New Hampshire Department of Safety in partnership with the New Hampshire Department of Justice; the United States Attorney’s Office, District of New Hampshire; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; the New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights; multiple local law enforcement agencies; and various community partners.
