Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes today announced the creation of a Hate Crimes Task Force in his office to counter the violence perpetrated against members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. The Task Force was set up due to the high rate of hate crimes in the community and is designed to protect victims by giving them an outlet to report crimes and seek advocacy.
The Task Force will put in place a set of initiatives designed to protect members of the LGBT community. One of these initiatives is the implementation of “Project Reach-Out”, which will provide resources to members of the LGBT community and HIV-positive survivors of violence. The Task Force is also setting up a 24-hour hotline that hate crime victims can call. That number is (718) 250-2759.
“Often, biased crime victims are hesitant to come forward and report crimes against them. It is a scary and traumatic experience for them”, Hynes said. “They may not want to call 911 or walk into their local precinct. The new hotline can help those people. These initiatives do not just protect victims of violence. Bullying against members of this community is something that also needs to be reported and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The Project will involve getting the community to work with us to put an end to the unnecessary violence.”
Empire State News
