Suffolk County DA Launches New Anti-Bias Task Force

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini announced on Monday the launch of the new Hate Crimes Task Force to work with police on bias-motivated crimes.

The news comes after three shootings that killed eight people at massage parlors in Georgia last week. The shootings led to an increase in attacks against Asian-Americans nationawide.

"Our nation is in the throes of a crisis right now in which members of non-white communities are being targeted and victimized," Sini said. "Recently, members of the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community have experienced a heightened number of attacks, which goes against everything we value as Americans. We want our community to know that these acts will not be tolerated here. We will not stand to let racism go unchecked in this County, or to turn a blind eye to crimes committed out of hate and discrimination. Our message here today, collectively, is 'Not on our watch.'"

Prosecutors on the Hate Crimes Task Force, which will be made up of eight attorneys, will help in the investigation of suspected bias-motivated incidents along with the SCPD’s Hate Crimes Unit and other law enforcement agencies.

The members of the task force with ensure those committing hate crimes and other bias-motivated offenses will face enhanced charges and other consequences.

In addition, the members of the new task force will undergo advanced training on the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes and will then provide training to the District Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies in Suffolk County on bringing enhanced charges against hate crime offenders.

During the course of its investigations and prosecutions, the task force members will evaluate the current hate crime statutes and work with the district attorney to make recommendations to New York State legislators on amendments to strengthen the laws if needed.

The task force is working with the Suffolk County Human Rights Commission to enhance the Stop Bias program, an educational program composed of two sessions in which the offender examines his or her motives for committing hate crimes, and learns why hate crimes are offensive to the injured person and community.

Offenders meet with members of law enforcement, a sensitivity facilitator and a representative from the offended community. Participation in the Stop Bias program would be mandated for those who are awaiting sentencing on a hate crime conviction.

Under New York State Law, "a person is guilty of a hate crime when he or she commits one of the specified offenses and either intentionally selects the person against whom the offense is committed or commits the offense in whole or in part because of a belief or perception regarding the race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, religious practice, age, disability or sexual orientation of a person, regardless of whether the belief or perception is correct."

The specified offenses for hate crimes include:

• Assault; Aggravated Assault upon Person Less Than 11 Years Old; Menacing; Reckless Endangerment
• Strangulation
• Manslaughter; Murder
• Stalking
• Rape; Criminal Sexual Act; Sexual Abuse; Aggravated Sexual Abuse
• Unlawful Imprisonment; Kidnapping; Coercion
• Criminal Trespass; Burglary
• Criminal Mischief
• Arson
• Petty Larceny; Grand Larceny
• Robbery
• Harassment; Aggravated Harassment
• Terrorism-related crimes

If you are the victim or witness of a hate crime in progress, call 911. To report a suspected hate crime or hate incident to the Suffolk County Police Department, call 1-800-220-TIPS.