Southern California LEOs Honored in Fight Against Hate Crimes

Nearly two dozen Southern California LEOs were honored by the Anti-Defamation League for their actions in fighting hate crimes. According to SFGate.com, the annual Sherwood Family Prize was awarded at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Representatives from several different law enforcement agencies, including FBI agents, Los Angeles County Sheriff deputies, Assistant U.S. Attorney Reema El-Amamy and attorney Saeed Mody were all honored for a case which resulted in the conviction of over 150 Compton Varrio gang members who attacked black youths. Other LEOs were honored for different cases.

As SFGate.com points out, this was the first time the federal Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act had been applied.

“Hate crimes are community crimes, there’s not just one victim victimized, anybody that looks like that person and anybody perceived to be like them is victimized,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Detective Christopher Keeling. “It’s more heinous because people are being victimized for things they can’t help.”

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Law-enforcement-officials-get-hate-crime-prizes-5308419.php Keep Reading