With many police departments working to evolve, one North Texas department is fine tuning the way it handles and investigates hate crimes.
The Arlington Police Department will host an 8-hour class and panel to discuss hate crimes. It is designed for both detectives and prosecutors to “to learn more about managing community conversations, investigating and prosecuting hate crimes.”
Along with Arlington personnel, representatives from the United States Attorney - Northern District of Texas and Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office are expected to attend.
According to police class participants will receive instruction in the following core areas:
• Reasons for vigorous hate crimes enforcement;
• Importance of developing strong ties between law enforcement and vulnerable communities;
• Appropriate investigative measures that should be taken when a hate crime is reported;
• State and federal law pertaining to hate crimes;
• Importance of investigators and prosecutors consulting and working together during the early stages of the investigation;
• Negative consequences for a prosecution absent such cooperation; and
• Key investigative steps necessary to obtain the critical motive evidence.
Arlington Police are working with the Matthew Shepard Foundation, Lawyers’ Committee For Civil Rights Under Law, Civil Rights Enforcement Associates, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police – Human and Civil Rights Committee for the class.
“We are proud to host this class and demonstrate the continued need to focus on the proper identification and effective investigation of hate crimes,” said Arlington Police Chief Will Johnson in a press release about the event.
The class comes from the expertise of former federal prosecutors and investigators “with decades of experience investigating and prosecuting hate crimes.”
