What to Know
- The FBI in Newark is embarking on a campaign to raise awareness about its efforts to prosecute hate crimes.
- George Crouch Jr., special agent in charge of the Newark division, said Wednesday that from August to November, “Protecting Our Communities Together” messages will be displayed on New Jersey Transit buses and trains and at rail stations, as well as on billboards along major New Jersey roadways.
- The ads will publicize the FBI’s existing toll-free number and website where tips can be passed on.
The FBI in Newark is embarking on a campaign to raise awareness about its efforts to prosecute hate crimes.
George Crouch Jr., special agent in charge of the Newark division, said Wednesday that from August to November, “Protecting Our Communities Together” messages will be displayed on New Jersey Transit buses and trains and at rail stations, as well as on billboards along major New Jersey roadways.
The ads will publicize the FBI’s existing toll-free number and website where tips can be passed on.
Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York newsletters.
An FBI report released last November found that hate crimes across the U.S. rose to their highest level in more than a decade and that hate-motivated killings reached a high as well, though it’s believed most hate crimes go unreported.
Last month, a report commissioned by a coalition of civil rights groups concluded that hate crime laws across the U.S. are inconsistent and can even have the effect of discouraging victims from coming forward.
“We want the public to be aware that the FBI investigates these matters and places a very high level of priority on such incidents,” Crouch said.
News
Anti-Asian incidents have spiked since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, as people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent have been treated as scapegoats based on their race.
