Hate Crimes Unit Unveiled by Sheriff

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca on Tuesday announced the formation of a hate crimes unit, citing the need for a more sophisticated approach to combating the problem.

“Hate crimes seriously threaten our society’s democratic principles,” Baca said during a press conference at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles.

The unit will comprise a sergeant and six investigators. Its goals include establishing a multi-jurisdictional task force and providing more public information.

Statistics from the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations show a 12% increase in hate crimes in the county from 1998 to 1999. A total of 859 hate crimes were committed in the county in 1999. “Some of that increase points to better reporting of crimes, but it can still show an increase in hate,” said Robin Toma, the commission’s executive director.

Toma said the new unit could help create long-term solutions by paying attention to the need for youth programs.

“You’ll see that neighborhoods with high racial gang violence tend to have no services for youth activities,” he said. “When people lack structure, they will organize their own activities.”

Sgt. Kathy Voyer of the sheriff’s Major Crimes Bureau said the impetus to form the unit came from the 1999 shooting at the Granada Hills Jewish Community Center.

James DeSarno, the FBI’s assistant director in charge of Los Angeles, said of the man blamed for the Jewish Community Center shooting, Buford O. Furrow: “His motive was simply hate.”

Toma said the unit could explore problems beyond stereotypes.

“The biggest misconception in the public is that it’s only white supremacists attacking minorities,” he said. “But no community is unaffected.”