September 26, 2023
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah announced today that her office will be hosting a first-of-its-kind legal and development training day in the Hudson Valley for law enforcement, prosecutors and public safety professionals on improving prompt responses to hate- and bias-motivated crimes and strengthening victim support and community outreach. In partnership with the Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC), the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), and technology corporation Meta, the District Attorney’s Hate Crimes Unit will offer the free one-day training “Creating Safer Communities: A Novel Hate Crimes Training Opportunity” on Oct. 3, 4 and 5 at SUNY Westchester Community College located at 75 Grassland Road in Valhalla, New York from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Students enrolled in SUNY WCC’s paralegal or criminal justice programs will also have the opportunity to attend the training.
DA Rocah said: “We are proud to offer this unique opportunity in Westchester County for prosecutors and law enforcement to come together and receive a national training model designed to strengthen our response to hate crimes and bias incidents, and to increase support for victims and impacted communities.”
Robert Noble, President of Westchester County Chiefs of Police Association and Chief of Yorktown Police Department said: “Bias and hate crimes have no place in a just and civilized society. These crimes not only harm both individuals and communities, but also erode the principles of equality and respect in society. The Westchester County Chiefs of Police Association is pleased that this training has been made available to the men and women of Westchester County law enforcement, who are on the front lines each and every day, keeping their respective communities safe.”
Dr. Carmen Martinez-Lopez, Dean of the School of Business and Professional Careers at SUNY Westchester Community College said: “The partnership with the Westchester County District Attorney's Office is important to the faculty and students of SUNY WCC because it allows us to expose our students to cutting-edge training opportunities, such as the hate crimes and bias training. It helps professors stay up-to-date and better prepares students for the current job marketplace, encouraging them to consider careers in law enforcement and the legal field. It also opens the door to student internships and other learning opportunities at a time when such education and training is so needed."
Based on training conducted across the country, October’s training at WCC will be led by facilitators sponsored by Meta, the parent company of social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, and CRI-TAC, a DOJ program that delivers targeted technical assistance and resources to local law enforcement, through a federal micro-grant secured by the DA’s Office.
The day-long program will include education on the law as well as modules with law enforcement and public safety leaders who have decades of experience investigating relevant cases and working with victims and families impacted by hate crimes.
Designed to offer a more substantive training to bolster basic legal education, which is often limited to an hour for new officers and prosecutors, the event is part of the District Attorney’s efforts to proactively combat hate crimes and address root causes of bias incidents including extremism.
In addition to the District Attorney installing a dedicated senior Assistant District Attorney for hate crimes prosecutions in 2021, the office, for the first time, was awarded the DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Matthew Shepard & James Byrd, Jr. Program grant to fund a crime analyst in the Hate Crimes Unit. In 2022, the unit prosecuted 67 hate crimes cases and handled 120 investigations; to date this year the unit has handled 132 investigations, of which 64 involved crimes motivated by hate or bias.
In collaboration with county government and advocates, the unit also conducts “upstander” presentations at schools across Westchester as part of its year-round community engagement on deterrence, prevention and education.
Earlier this year, the District Attorney announced the launch of a law enforcement reporting portal, developed by the DA’s Office and County government, to centralize county-wide data on hate crime and bias incidents to aid in investigations and prosecutions.
Sworn members of law enforcement, public safety agencies, and prosecutors' offices in any jurisdiction, in Westchester County and beyond, and WCC students enrolled in the paralegal and criminal justice programs can choose one date for the training by registering at bit.ly/hcutraining2023. Breakfast and lunch will be served for registrants.
The training is drawing local law enforcement as well as others from Connecticut, Georgia and Florida, and prosecutors and investigators from neighboring jurisdictions like Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Orange and Dutchess counties. The training will offer Continued Legal Education (CLE) credits for attorneys.
Questions can be emailed to hcu@westchesterda.net.
Download the brochure.
Anna Young, Public Information Officer
(914) 995-6551
ayoung@westchesterda.net
