x
Breaking News
More () »

Homing in on hate crimes in Minnesota

Attorney General hosts meetings with state, local and federal prosecutors and law enforcement to focus more sharply on hate-motivated crimes

There's no question hate crimes are on the rise in Minnesota. Tracking them and preventing them will take a team effort.

That's why Attorney General Keith Ellison has convened a series of meetings with law enforcement, prosecutors, faith leaders and others focused on hate crimes.

"Everybody recognizes that this is a threat, and we’re trying to figure out how to work together for the benefit of public safety," Ellison told KARE.

"There were a number of great suggestions on how we might do data collection, and some suggestions on how the law might change so we can do more effective prosecutions when this happens."

There's a consensus that hate crimes are under reported in Minnesota, partly because the motivation isn't immediately known in the early stages of an investigation. Law enforcement tends to error on the side of caution, rather than reaching a quick confusion that hate played a role.

"We talked about that. How do we make sure we can develop a reliable data set? But based on the data we have, we know we have a problem."

The Attorney General said social media companies have a role to play too, when it comes to policing hate speech because it can incite people to hate-related violence.

Ellison applauded the efforts of Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington and US Attorney Erica MacDonald, as well as people in the faith community including Steve Hunegs of the Jewish Community Relations Council.

"Every religion has as its goal, in light of attacks on houses of worship in recent years, to make sure houses of worship remain open and welcoming, while at the same time taking all necessary steps for protection," Hunegs told KARE.

"You need a little bit of resolution, a little resources. Resolution is the fact we’re not going to allow ourselves to be intimidated, right?"

The JCRC hired Plymouth police veteran Dan Plekkenpol as its first security director last year, and the organization is more than willing to share its expertise on protecting places of worship with other religious organizations.

Hunegs agrees a more standardized system for reporting and documenting hate crimes would be a positive step. He's encouraged lawmakers are looking at enhanced training to help officers recognize bias-motivated crimes.

Before You Leave, Check This Out