NYPD Announces New Hate Crime Review Panel

April 19, 2021

Partnership with Community Leaders to Transform Enforcement

Today, Police Commissioner Dermot Shea announced a new partnership with a diverse panel of community leaders as part of the Police Department’s ongoing efforts to ensure vigorous enforcement of hate crimes and ultimate justice for New Yorkers who are its victims.

Five distinguished civilian leaders have joined the panel, the “NYPD Hate Crime Review Panel,” including Devorah Halberstam, Executive Director of the Jewish Children’s Museum; Fred Teng, President of the America China Public Affairs Institute; Pia Raymond, author, professor and social worker; Ed Powell, the longtime President of the 70th Precinct Community Council; and David Warren, a member of Community Board 4, a board member of ChekPeds, and an active member of OutCycling.

Collectively, our panelists represent decades of deep knowledge and vital experience. They will assess circumstances that present challenges in establishing whether a victim’s actual or perceived race, national origin, ethnicity, religion, disability or sexual orientation were motivating factors in possible hate crime. Their contribution will enhance the department’s work and improve service to all New Yorkers.

“Our continuing partnerships with the community remain the cornerstone of our policing philosophy,” said Police Commissioner Dermot Shea. “Whether teaming our cops up with the community to clean graffiti, partnering with esteemed advisors to reimagine policing for the 21st Century or ensuring an independent assessment of all potential hate crimes, we are always striving to make the department fairer, stronger and more effective.”

Over the last seven years, the NYPD has been forging fundamental changes in policing, including building strong relationships through Neighborhood Policing and drastically reducing the level of enforcement by focusing resources on the drivers of violence through Precision Policing. Our vision for this new panel, in the important area of ensuring that all New Yorkers can live free from bias, is part of our commitment to continuous improvement.

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