South Florida Law Enforcement Officers Receive Latest Hate Crimes Training
MIAMI—Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, of FBI Miami and U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, kicked off this day-long training session on hate crimes in Pembroke Pines, Florida. The afternoon session began with remarks from State Attorney Harold F. Pryor for Broward County, and State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle for Miami-Dade County. Over 200 South Florida law enforcement officers were in attendance.
The training is jointly sponsored by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office along with the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office Hate Crimes Unit and the Broward State Attorney’s Office Hate Crimes Taskforce Unit. Presenters addressed federal and state hate crimes statutes, recent federal cases, victim services, and held a panel discussion. Highlights included a keynote address from Judy and Dennis Shepard of the Matthew Shepard Foundation and a presentation by the Anti-Defamation League.
“Educating the public—-and law enforcement—about hate crimes is an ongoing, continuous effort that FBI Miami will always prioritize,” said Jeffrey B. Veltri, special agent in charge, FBI Miami. “Training events like this one today are an excellent opportunity for law enforcement professionals to learn so that we are in a better position to protect our communities against bias-motivated crimes and investigate incidents when they occur.”
“It is our united responsibility to stand against hatred and bigotry in all its forms and protect those most vulnerable in our society,” stated U.S. Attorney Lapointe. “By facilitating and taking part in invaluable training programs, we can better serve our communities and collectively work to thwart potential threats to our diverse South Florida residents.”
This type of law enforcement training is extremely impactful and reinforces the commitment of the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to combat hate crimes. It helps ensure that hate crimes are promptly and properly addressed. All law enforcement agencies within the FBI Miami area of responsibility were invited to attend along with several agencies outside the area. This is the largest hate crimes training for law enforcement officials conducted in South Florida in over a decade.
SAC Veltri and U.S. Attorney Lapointe recently issued a statement addressing their commitment to combat hate crimes and potential threats to the community.
