Hate crimes in Maine are on the rise, specialists say
At a discussion board on hate crimes in Portland on Friday, nationwide hate crime skilled Dr. Frank Pezzella says a spike in hate crimes in recent times might be traced to the 2016 presidential election, when he says offenders grew to become emboldened and indignant about adjustments of their communities.
In Maine, Pezzella says, that got here similtaneously an inflow of immigrants.
“The place you’ve that improve in variety, you’re going to see that friction between individuals who have lived there historically and newcomers, as a result of there’s a sense that they’re taking jobs, they’re taking properties, and so they’re not entitled as a result of they haven’t lived right here,” Pezzella mentioned.
Pezzella says the true scope of hate crimes in Maine will not be recognized, as a result of victims usually don’t report them and police misclassify the crimes. That disconnect, he says, should be rectified with higher collaboration between regulation enforcement and marginalized communities.
Regulation enforcement from throughout the state Friday skilled on hate crime prevention, a transfer supposed to foster belief between victims and people whose job it’s to guard them.
Assistant Lawyer Normal Leanne Robbin says in Maine Civil Rights Act injunctions have been efficient at stopping most hate crime offenders from performing once more.
“Now we have caused 300 civil rights actions for the reason that Maine Civil Rights Act was handed in 1992,” Robbin mentioned. “Now we have 300 everlasting injunctions on the market prohibiting folks from violating the act. In the event you violate the injunction then it’s a prison violation. And we’ve solely had ten.”
Robbin says hate crime offenders can spend as much as 364 days in jail and be fined $2,000. And she or he says judges are prepared to impose vital sentences if somebody reoffends or makes use of a weapon to threaten the sufferer throughout the crime.
The U.S. Division of Justice reviews that just about half of Maine’s reported hate crimes are towards folks of colour or immigrants. Pezzella says the psychological and bodily accidents to victims of hate crimes might be in depth and erode a marginalized group’s sense of inclusion.
Zoe Sahloul, govt director of the New England Arab American Group, says standing as much as assist somebody being victimized can defuse a hate incident.
“How will you deescalate the state of affairs? By being there,” Sahloul mentioned. “I do know a variety of us and others are afraid to get entangled, but when all of us take that accountability, our hope is for us to create an surroundings the place Maine is a spot with out hate.”
The New England Arab American Group helpline quantity is 207-800-5398. Confidential chat in Arabic, Dari, Pashto, and English is on the market at rc.chat/neaao.
This story seems by way of a media partnership with Maine Public.
