Program aims to boost hate crime reporting

I am writing because I believe there are some misunderstandings in the community about the purpose of the United Against Hate Conference on Nov. 14 at the Heartwood Center and reasons for hosting it here in Bonner County.

In his introduction, Josh Hurwit, U.S. attorney for the District of Idaho, noted that all U.S. Attorneys Offices are hosting similar events as part of a nationwide initiative to combat unlawful acts of hate. The program’s goal is to improve hate crime reporting by teaching community members how to identify, report and help prevent hate crimes.

The event held in Sandpoint was the sixth one to take place in Idaho in the past year. Neither Bonner County nor the state of Idaho were specifically selected as a location because someone determined there was a plethora of hate crimes taking place here. Sandpoint was selected in part because there were organizations in Bonner and Boundary counties that were willing to sponsor the event. 

I think we can all agree that a hate crime can occur anywhere. As noted previously in the Daily Bee, a community will always “have its bad apples, kooks, and ne’er do wells.” Understanding the laws as they pertain to hate incidents and crimes and understanding the history behind the reasons for these laws is one way to protect everyone.

KRISTA EBERLE

Sandpoint