Concord, NH – Attorney General John M. Formella announces new resources to protect civil rights in New Hampshire and to combat hate crimes, discrimination, and civil rights violations. The Attorney General’s Office Civil Rights Unit will add three new positions: an additional attorney, a sworn law enforcement investigator, and a legal support staff person.
Established in December 2017, the Civil Rights Unit investigates allegations of criminal, unlawful, or discriminatory conduct motivated by a person’s protected characteristics including race, religion, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, and disability. The Unit prosecutes violations of the Civil Rights Act, the state’s antidiscrimination laws, and hate crimes.
In addition to its enforcement work, the Unit provides training to law enforcement, prosecutors, public officials, and the public on issues surrounding hate crimes, civil rights violations, and discrimination. The Unit presents a block of training six times a year to all police cadets on identifying, investigating, and reporting hate crimes. It also provides similar training opportunities to local police departments. The Unit works with local police departments as well as state and federal agencies to host community outreach events, listening sessions, and conferences to educate the public about hate crimes, civil rights violations, and discrimination. The Unit also provides legal counsel and representation to the New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights as part of their shared mission to combat discrimination in New Hampshire.
“Since its creation six years ago, the Civil Rights Unit has worked tirelessly to ensure that hate crimes and civil rights violations are identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent possible,” said Attorney General Formella.
The Unit, which has been staffed by one full-time attorney with assistance from other units and bureaus within the Office on an as needed and as available basis, has seen a 465% in complaints and referrals over the last five years (from 40 to 186). The Attorney General’s Office believes that this increase in complaints and referrals can be attributed in part to the increasing racial and ethnic diversity in the state, increasingly divisive rhetoric in politics and media, and recent increased tension and geopolitical conflict worldwide.
“When a hate crime occurs, it sends a message to that person and to their community that they should feel unsafe and unwelcome. Hate crimes encourage people to withdraw from the community out of fear,” said Attorney General Formella. “My hope is that with these additional resources, we send a strong message that hate has no place in New Hampshire and that we will do everything in our power to investigate, punish, and deter hate crimes and civil rights violations.”
With these new resources, the Unit will increase the number of cases it investigates and prosecutes annually. The Unit will be able to act quickly in response to hate crimes and civil rights violations to protect the victims and the public from further and better support local police departments investigating suspected hate motivated acts. The Unit will also be better able to collaborate with local law enforcement and other partners to support victims of hate motivated acts and ensure the best possible outcomes for those victims and their communities.
Anyone who believes their civil rights have been violated may file a complaint at https://www.doj.nh.gov/civil-rights/index.htm or by calling 603-271-3650. If you believe that you have been the victim of a hate crime you should report that to your local police department and then file a complaint with the Civil Rights Unit.
