Thursday Event Will Discuss Hate Crimes in Cheshire County

KEENE, N.H. –  This Thursday, April 18, the New Hampshire Department of Safety, along with its federal, state and local partners, will host a community forum titled “Combating Hate Crimes in Cheshire County” at the Michael E.J. Blastos Community Room, 400 Marlboro Street, Keene, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“This forum will offer residents of Cheshire County a chance to hear from those who are combating hate crimes in our state and to be educated about how often these types of crimes are happening and where,” said New Hampshire Department of Safety Assistant Commissioner Eddie Edwards.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature presentations from New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella and Keene Mayor Jay Kahn; small group discussions with members of law enforcement, community leaders and federal agencies; and an overview of what hate crimes are as well as the Civil Rights Act.

“Hate-motivated conduct anywhere is intolerable. Our goal is to inform the community about the impact these crimes can have, how they can be prevented, and what we’re doing to stop them from happening in the future,” said Senior Assistant Attorney General Sean Locke, Director of the Civil Rights Unit.

The forum is presented by the New Hampshire Department of Safety in partnership with the New Hampshire Department of Justice; the United States Attorney’s Office, District of New Hampshire; the New Hampshire Commissioner for Human Rights; local law enforcement and community partners. Anyone interested in attending the event is asked to register at www.tinyurl.com/nhhatecrimediscussion.