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Task force discusses hate crimes

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* The Illinois Public Safety and Violence Prevention task force met yesterday to share information and discuss strategies to prevent hate crimes. State Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago) said the meeting comes after many of those groups requested help from the state. WGEM…

The Illinois Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes is looking into the possibility of creating a statewide hate crimes and bias incident hotline. Illinois Human Rights Director Jim Bennett said Thursday that the hotline would be separate from reporting to law enforcement.

Bennett explained the new hotline could help victims of hate crimes and bias incidents talk with an expert on the other phone line. He also believes it could be a great opportunity to get people connected with agencies and local groups that people turn to when they are facing a crisis. […]

The commission is also recommending that the state create a grant program to help organizations connect with the helpline and develop more services to assist victims of hate crimes. They would also like to educate law enforcement about how to respond to hate crimes and create a continuing education course for state attorneys, public defenders, and judges.

Bennett told the Illinois House Public Safety and Violence Prevention Task Force that commission members would like to see a data collection and analysis hub for hate crimes and bias incidents. Experts across the country know hate crimes are underreported, even in Illinois.

* Anti-Defamation League Director David Goldenberg told lawmakers antisemitic incidents in Illinois have increased by 430 percent since 2016…

* Equality Illinois’ Director of Public Policy Mike Ziri said there has been an increase of Illinois LGBTQ students reporting harassment in school over the past year…

* The Center Square…

State Rep. Patrick Windhorst, R-Metropolis, a member of the task force, told The Center Square that the state needs to address past policies and reforms and increase the penalties on offenders if they hope to stop hate crimes.

“I believe if we are determined to deter these types of crimes, we need to make sure there are significant consequences for those who engage in this type of activity,” Windhorst said.

Windhorst said that the SAFE-T Act and eliminating cash bail will not help the issues.

“With the SAFE-T Act and the Pre Trial Fairness Act, it appears to me that the offense of hate crime is not a detainable offense through trial,” Windhorst said. “If an individual is arrested for a hate crime, they will be released within 48 hours.”

[Added by Rich Miller: Rep. Windhorst did not make his comments during the hearing, when they could have been rebutted.]

* The Southern Poverty Law Center has identified 23 different “hate groups” operating in Illinois, including seven categorized as white nationalist or neo-Nazi, and four that are described as anti-LGBTQ groups.

posted by Isabel Miller
Friday, Aug 26, 22 @ 11:59 am

Comments

Republicans take any reason to blame the end of cash bail.
-Did you run into traffic on your way into work today? Less criminals on the streets = less cars on the streets.

-Did you stub your toe? Well maybe you wouldn’t have if you weren’t so afraid of all these criminals on the streets.

Any minor inconvenience is now being blamed, and it’s pretty funny because Stretch Armstrong himself would not be able to tie these claims together.

Comment by Commissar Gritty Friday, Aug 26, 22 @ 12:08 pm
=Windhorst said that the SAFE-T Act and eliminating cash bail will not help the issues.=

I rate his claim “pants on fire”. The fact that he didn’t say it during the hearing just means he is a coward.

Comment by JS Mill Friday, Aug 26, 22 @ 12:24 pm
There is little to no hard evidence that harsher sentences actually deter crimes. It’s one of those things that feels true but generally is not. As those conservative types are so fond of saying, facts don’t care about your feelings.

Comment by Actual Red Friday, Aug 26, 22 @ 12:31 pm
==[Added by Rich Miller: Rep. Windhorst did not make his comments during the hearing, when they could have been rebutted.]==

As some of us learned at the hearing, or perhaps we already knew it, there is no hate crime without an underlying criminal act. So there is no way to say whether it would be detainable or not without knowing what the underlying criminial act is.

Comment by The Young Gov Friday, Aug 26, 22 @ 12:57 pm
Rep. Windhorst DID say almost that exact quote during the hearing at the 1:36:50 mark. Rep. Ford thanked him for his input. Probably should retract that addition.

Comment by Eastside Friday, Aug 26, 22 @ 1:06 pm
So the Republican Lt. Gov nominee is a part of a hate group? Illinois Family Action, as I copy and paste from their website, “the non-profit and tax-exempt legislative action arm of Illinois Family Institute…”

Probably not a good look.

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Friday, Aug 26, 22 @ 1:12 pm
===Rep. Windhorst DID say almost that exact quote during the hearing at the 1:36:50 mark===

After Rep. Ford had concluded the hearing.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 26, 22 @ 1:17 pm
I don’t know what you were watching but Windhorst spoke after Rep. Ford recognized him for questions. And then Rep. Hurley spoke after Windhorst. It was only after Rep. Hurley spoke that Rep. Ford concluded the hearing. It is all on the Blue Room Stream. You can go and verify it. Rep. Ford or Hurley both spoke after Rep. Windhorst and could have rebutted what he said. You’re just wrong.

Comment by Eastside Friday, Aug 26, 22 @ 1:25 pm
Ah yes, penalty enhancements, the quixotic cure-all for everything. Hard pass.

Comment by Loyal Virus Friday, Aug 26, 22 @ 1:27 pm