The D.C. Council’s Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary—-and chair Phil Mendelson—-will hold a hearing on Friday to discuss the law enforcement and judicial responses to hate crimes in the District. Gays and Lesbians Opposed to Violence (GLOV) co-chairs Chris Farris and Todd Metrokin, as well as hate crime victim Wes Della Volla and friends of September assault victim Tony Hunter, will speak. From GLOV:
The hearing has been called in response to recent incidents that have heightened community concern over whether law enforcement is responding effectively to reduce the occurrence of hate crime. As indicated in the hearing notice released by Committee ChairmanPhil Mendelson, “a recent Washington Post editorial cited FBI statistics that show while the District mirrors the nation in a reduction of racial-bias crimes, according the MPD statistics, hate crimes based on sexual orientation account for the ‘overwhelming majority of hate crimes in the city.’ “
The hearing will be held at noon on Friday, Dec. 12 in the Wilson Building’s 5th Floor Council Chambers, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.