Hate and bias crimes are serious offenses that must not be tolerated. No citizen should feel unsafe in our community.
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It is time for the City of Vancouver to make a strong statement against hate and bias crimes, and work with the County and local advocacy organizations to promote community understanding and collaboration.
I am working on a draft resolution, to put before the City Manager and City Council, to stand strong with the County and others in our community against hatred and intolerance, and help make Clark County and the City of Vancouver a place where every resident can feel safe.
And I’d be remiss to not mention the Clark County Sheriff’s Office press release from Wednesday:
Recently the Clark County Sheriff’s Office became aware of a series of criminal incidents involving racist and bias graffiti in a local neighborhood, on vehicles, and other items of personal property. The Sheriff’s Office needs the community’s help in solving this series of crimes and would like anyone who has information about these incidents to please call the Sheriff’s Office West Precinct at (360) 397-6079, Central Precinct at (360) 397-6195 or 911 after 5 p.m. to report.
Sheriff Garry Lucas would like the community to know that these recent criminal acts are reprehensible and this sort of conduct should not be tolerated. Citizens are urged to call 911 immediately if they become the victim of a hate crime, or if they have information about subjects involved in these sorts of criminal acts.
And the YWCA Clark County is taking the lead role on this incident:
Bias incidents can be very frightening for victims, and can leave people feeling vulnerable and unsupported. The Sheriff’s Office has taken a firm stance in attempting to document and address this behavior in the community and is working closely with the YWCA on a series of community forums that will attempt to open dialogue between law enforcement and our diverse communities. Planning is in progress for an event to be held in the fall. Details will be released as soon as they become available.
For information about the work being done by the YWCA with regard to Hate Crimes and Bias Incidents, please contact the YWCA’s Social Change Director, Jay Atwood at (360) 696-0167.
In these times of severe budget cuts, it’s organizations like the YWCA that play a critical a role in shoring up our local social safety net. I realize dollars are scarce these days, but please consider making a tax-deductible contribution directly to the YWCA Clark County:
https://payments.auctionpay.com/ver3/?id=W025012
You can direct your contribution specifically to the graffiti incident by indicating so in the “in memory of” section.
1 comments:
Good for Tim Leavitt! It is important for our government leaders to set an example. We all have to make it very clear that bigotry is not tolerated. Perhaps citizens will start thinking twice about what kind of rhetoric they use in public hearings. Hateful words can incite hateful actions. I truly hope this inspires all three Clark County Commissioners to follow Vancouver's lead.
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