United States Attorney Jane E. Young and New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella are pleased to announce the first in a series of public Hate Crimes Forum conversations hosted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office.

A Hate Crimes Forum is a public gathering that provides community members, public officials, and other interested parties with information related to the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act as well as state and municipal hate crimes laws. The forums will engage local law enforcement, federal law enforcement and community organizations in discussions and information sharing on methods to prevent and respond to local bias incidents and hate crimes. 

“I’m encouraging all to attend this first in a series of forums,” U. S. Attorney Jane E. Young said.  “The Hate Crimes Forum will give community members and law enforcement the opportunity to share ideas, best practices and resources to prevent and respond to bias incidents and hate crimes.  This novel Forum will be an effective preventative tool by ensuring that our communities have an understanding of the applicable laws and a safe space to discuss questions and challenges associated with bias incidents and hate crimes.”

“Preventing hate crimes is one of our most important shared priorities across New Hampshire law enforcement. We need a whole-community approach to truly be successful in our fight against bias and hate,” said Attorney General Formella. “These forum conversations are aimed at building bridges across diverse sectors of our Granite State communities. I look forward to engaging and encouraging hate crime reporting. These will be critical conversations as we work collectively to keep New Hampshire safe and welcoming for people of all backgrounds.”

The first Forum conversation will feature numerous presenters from various agencies around the state.  It will be held on February 9, 2023, starting at 10am at the Michael Briggs Community Center, 409 Beech Street in Manchester, New Hampshire. 

To register or for further information, please contact Katie Desrochers at 603-230-2518.  Please RSVP by February 6, 2023.