Massachusetts is launching a new state police unit to help deter hate crimes, support victims and create more resilient communities.
Governor Maura Healey says it comes as a response to a spike in hate crimes in the state. The Democrat announced the Hate Crimes Awareness and Response Team Monday, saying it will help bolster statewide data collection and information-sharing to identify patterns and trends.
The unit will also develop training protocols to help police agencies better investigate hate crimes and streamline coordination between federal, state and local agencies. Healey spoke at the statehouse in Boston.
“One hate crime is too many and we’re seeing more than one a day in Massachusetts,” she said. “So it’s necessary that we say firmly and forcefully, whatever the bias, whoever the target, hate has no place in Massachusetts. Anti-Semitism has no place, racism has no place, Islamophobia has no place, homophobia and transphobia have no place, ableism has no place.”
Massachusetts recorded 440 reports of hate crimes statewide last year, up from 406 the year before. State Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, a fellow Democrat, says the state’s response must be unified.
“We must put aside our differences, which at moments I know can be very difficult, particularly in the climate and the international climate we’re in,” she said. “But we have an opportunity to model what leadership looks like, what collaboration looks like, and what it means to have sometimes difficult and uncomfortable conversations to make sure that everyone who lives in Massachusetts and chooses this incredible commonwealth to call home, that they are free to live, happy and most importantly, to be valued for their humanity.”
Lieutenant Colonel John Mawn is the interim head of the Massachusetts State Police.
“We will stand united against the rise in bias-motivated threats, harassment and violence to create a safer and more inclusive Massachusetts for all its residents,” he said. “We can meet today’s challenges while planning for tomorrow’s possibilities.”
Healey says the development comes at a crucial point.
“What today is about is a recognition of the moment that we are in as a country and as a commonwealth,” she said.
