New Committee Will Address Hate Crimes

In the wake of a recent attack on a Native American that police believe was racially motivated, the City Council on Tuesday sent a message that such incidents will not be tolerated.

The council unanimously approved the formation of a committee to deal with human relations issues in the city. “It’s up to the leadership to recognize there is a problem,” Councilwoman Shirley S. Dettloff said.

The committee will study alleged hate crimes, develop an educational awareness program in schools and set up a procedure to give people immediate assistance.

“We need to take a very hard look at hate crimes and have a policy on how the city can address crimes when they occur,” Dettloff said.

The committee will be made up of Dettloff and Councilman Ralph Bauer, Police Chief Ronald E. Lowenberg and a representative of the Huntington Beach Union High School District.

“There really does need to be an effort made that this is unacceptable behavior,” Bauer said.

Dettloff said the city has had a history of racial incidents.

She cited the Feb. 4 attack on a 20-year-old Native American man, who was stabbed 27 times and is recovering at home, and the case of an African American couple who said they were discouraged from buying a house and were subjected to racial slurs.

Dettloff said the city has received letters from people who have been harassed and have vowed not to visit Huntington Beach again. She read a letter from a woman who said her boyfriend had been accosted by a group of white supremacists as they walked down Main Street.

“Your city is so beautiful that it is a shame there is also hate,” the woman wrote.

“It’s a reputation we can ill afford,” Dettloff said.