Leading the Battle Against Hate Crimes : * Top Officials’ Participation in Garden Grove Symposium a Good Start to a Long Task

Hate has been much in the news, and Orange County has had more than its share of such stories in recent years. This year, the ugly mosaic of racially motivated crimes has broadened to include a range of alleged violations. Blacks, Latinos, Jews, Asian-Americans, gays and other groups have been targeted for criminal behavior and verbal abuse. And we have racial harassment claims, such as the $3-million judgment a black family is seeking against the Newport Beach Police Department. They contend that officers improperly detained and manhandled them--a charge denied by the department.

The good news is that the county’s political and law enforcement communities have been organizing, as never before, to launch a full-scale campaign against hate crimes. Recently, the Garden Grove Community Center was host to the first countywide symposium on hate crimes, and it drew more than 140 police officers, school officials and civic leaders to discuss the prevention, reporting and prosecution of such crimes. That assembly, co-sponsored by the vigilant Orange County Human Relations Commission and the Garden Grove Police Department, took place as a record number of incidents were reported in the county for the first half of the year.

Dist. Atty. Michael R. Capizzi observed that the county now approaches a population of 2.5 million people and that “they are made up of every religion, ethnicity, nationality and sexual orientation.” And Gaddi H. Vasquez, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, noted the disturbing national trend of race-based politics.

It was encouraging to have such top law enforcement and county officials urging others in the community to be out in front on this issue, to send a message quickly to condemn hate crimes and acts of racial harassment. Racial intolerance can be sustained only in an atmosphere of toleration for it. The problem is pervasive. Sal Garcia, a psychologist with the Garden Grove Unified School District, warned, “We’re sitting on an explosive powder keg.” There have been a number of recent racial incidents reported among students on or near Orange County school campuses.

One important strategy is to improve education in the area of racial understanding, and to do it with the young. They must not simply perpetuate the generational prejudices of their elders. With them lies the key to breaking the cycle. But the leadership in this vital area must come from the top in the county. That 140 people turned out to begin the long task was a significant start.