New state police unit launched to assist battle hate crimes in Mass.

A brand new state police unit launched Monday that may concentrate on combating hate crimes in Massachusetts.

The Hate Crimes Consciousness and Response Workforce will likely be devoted to “enhancing federal, state and native partnerships and liaising with group leaders to strengthen statewide response to hate crimes and hate-based incidents,” Gov. Maura Healey’s administration introduced Monday.

The unit will likely be comprised of 4 to 5 members of state police, with every individual serving as some extent of contact for native legislation enforcement, group, and non secular teams inside a selected geographic space in Massachusetts.

“With hate crimes on the rise throughout the nation and right here in Massachusetts, it’s important that we carry folks collectively to advance proactive options and assist our communities,” Healey stated in an announcement. 

The brand new state police staff will “will improve statewide knowledge assortment and information-sharing to determine statewide, nationwide, and world patterns and traits; improve stakeholder collaboration and academic outreach; develop superior coaching in coordination with the Municipal Police Coaching Committee to equip legislation enforcement with greatest practices for hate crime response; and streamline coordination between federal, state and native legislation enforcement businesses,” in accordance with the governor’s workplace.

The Healey administration introduced that together with the launch of the brand new unit, it’s awarding $461,920 in Hate Crime Prevention grants to high school districts in an effort to assist and broaden applications targeted on lowering incidents of bias. 

In response to the governor’s workplace, the Government Workplace of Public Security and Safety recorded 440 studies of hate crime incidents statewide in 2022, which is up from 406 in 2021 and the best quantity reported since 2002. 

“Latest occasions at dwelling and overseas present a tragic and pressing reminder that no group is immune from the unpredictable and devastating influence of a bias-motivated occasion,” Massachusetts State Police Interim Colonel John Mawn Jr. stated in an announcement. “As our nation continues to grapple with a regarding improve in illegal acts of hate, the State Police will meet this second with a strong technique and sustained dedication to confronting bias and intolerance by strengthening legislation enforcement partnerships, enhancing group engagement, and delivering superior coaching and schooling to stakeholders.”