A recent study by California State University showed hate crimes in this country rose ten percent between 2021 and ‘22, and looking at the ten largest cities, the number jumped 22%. Charlottesville is a relatively small municipality, but former chief of police Tim Longo – who now oversees the force at UVA – says this town knows all about hate.
"I don’t have to tell anyone who’s spent any time in Charlottesville what we’ve endured in the past several years," he says.
And the U.S. Attorney for the Western District, Chris Kavanaugh, says many hate crimes may not be reported.
"Where you have an assault or someone causing bodily injury to another individual because of their membership in a protected class – sometimes that can just be reported as a mere assault."
So he and Longo have teamed up to offer HEART – Hate crime Education Awareness, Reporting and Training.
"A hate crime, it truly is different," Kavanaugh explains. "One of the reasons that it’s different is that the effect is felt not only by the individual victim but by a whole class of persons, which is why it’s so critically important to not only have training but also to make sure they’re investigated, and people are held accountable."
Officers from 57 police forces in the region are invited to attend the event to be held at UVA on September 12th and 13th. Courtney Hopkins, the diversity officer for UVA Police, says a number of special guests will be on hand to share their views on the issue.
"You’ll be getting a full understanding of hate crime statutes at a state and federal level," she tells prospective participants. "You’ll be able to hear from people who were really affected. We want to make it tangible, so having these people come that were deeply affected by these issues is something that is very important to us."
And Deputy Campus Chief Bryant Hall says officers are looking forward to learning how laws have evolved and what they can do to combat hate.
"We want to make sure that we are trained and proficient in every aspect of our profession. Taking a proactive approach and doing the right thing at the right time for the right reason is the best way to combat this."
The program is free, and officers will get 26 training hours toward a state-requirement for on-going certification. Members of the public are also invited to attend.
For more information, e-mail DWR5HP@Virginia.edu
