Jewish Journal

Aaron Bandler

5/20/2020

A bill enhancing police officer training on hate crimes passed a committee in the California Assembly on May 20.

The bill, A.B. 2236, would establish a commission that develops “guidelines and a course of instruction and training for law enforcement officers who are employed as peace officers.” This would include the definition of hate crimes, the impact hate crimes have and how to respond to them.

Assemblymembers Jesse Gabriel (D-San Fernando Valley) and Kansen Chu (D-Santa Clara) sponsored the bill. It unanimously passed the California General Assembly’s Public Safety Committee.

Jewish groups praised the bill’s passage in committee. American Jewish Committee (AJC) Los Angeles said in a Facebook post that the bill “would strengthen California’s response to the recent rise in COVID-19 related hate crimes and anti-Semitic incidents. Most significantly, A.B. 2236 would better equip law enforcement to respond to hate crimes, including providing comprehensive training on hate crimes trends and best enforcement practices.”

It added: “AJC is on record in supporting A.B. 2236 and will continue to monitor its progress as the measure is considered by the appropriate legislative committees.”

The Progressive Zionists of California (PZC) similarly said in a Facebook post, “If passed as law, AB 2236 would greatly improve California’s response to hate crimes by empowering and educating peace officers more effectively about what hate crimes are and how to best investigate and report them. PZC sent a letter in support of the bill and will be on the lookout for updates in various committees.”
The California Department of Justice issued a report on July 2 concluding that hate crimes increased 21% from 2018 to 2017.

Read the article here.