Delegates Suggest Ways To Fight Hate Crime

Fri., Nov. 7, 1997

By Andrea Vogt andreav@spokesman.com

Washington’s and Idaho’s representatives to the White House Conference on Hate Crimes are armed with requests.

The conference, to be broadcast live Monday at North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene, is expected to include announcements of law enforcement and prevention initiatives to get tough on hate crimes.

NIC interim President Ronald Bell and Bill Wassmuth, Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment director, were invited and will take the following recommendations to the conference:

More federal funding for monitoring hate crimes and the activities of hate groups.

Increased federal funding and personnel for police diversity programs and seminars to train state and local law enforcement agencies to identify hate crimes.

Federal legislation creating criminal and civil penalties for malicious harassment committed across state lines.

In addition, they are urging universities nationwide to study the planned Gonzaga Institute for Action Against Hate.

According to a Gonzaga University subcommittee drafting the concept, the institute will create several courses on the causes of hate and ways to combat it, as well as a clearinghouse for research, data, experts and information on hate crimes.

“This is a terribly important issue,” said Tony Stewart, spokesman for the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations.

President Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, the attorney general and secretary of education will be joined by members of Congress, state and local officials and 350 leaders from law enforcement, civil rights, youth, education and religious communities.

The conference will be broadcast from 8:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Monday in NIC’s Todd Hall in the library.

The public is welcome to attend. Local legislators also have been invited.

, DataTimes MEMO: IDAHO HEADLINE: Conference plans to get tough on hate crime

IDAHO HEADLINE: Conference plans to get tough on hate crime

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