Arlington Leaders Respond To Hate Crime Data, Clarify Numbers

ARLINGTON, MA – Arlington leaders issued a joint statement Friday in response to the latest round of hate crime data reported to the FBI. Police said 14 hate crimes were originally reported to the FBI in 2017, but three were mistakenly categorized.

The majority of hate crimes – seven – were targeted acts of anti-Semitism, such as anti-Jewish slurs and swastikas drawn in public places, according to police. Two were motivated by race or ethnicity – one act of written hate speech and another of aggravated assault – one by a person's disability and one by gender identity.

In a joint statement, the Arlington Police Department, Health and Human Services Department and Human Rights Commission said the town has risen to meet these incidents "head-on." Officials said Arlington is one of the few police departments that reports instances of hate and bias-motivated crime to the federal government, as nearly 90 percent of departments report zero hate crimes to the FBI.

In Massachusetts, 102 of the state's 414 police departments reported hate crimes to the FBI last year. There is also a broad interpretation of the law for labeling vandalism and graffiti as hate crimes, they added.

"A swastika drawn in a public place and the destruction of a cultural diversity banner are not just acts of vandalism; they are acts of hate, and we treat them as such in Arlington," Chief Frederick Ryan said. "As a society, we can avoid an unpleasant discussion by pressing different buttons on a computer, but in Arlington we do not believe that is the solution."

There have been 11 hate crimes in Arlington so far this year, officials said. The investigation into each incident involves contacting relevant municipal and independent agencies like the Rainbow Commission, Anti-Defamation League or Human Rights Commission for a consultation.

"Hate crime response starts at the law enforcement level, but it ends as a community-wide response in Arlington," Naomi Greenfield, co-chair of the Human Rights Commission, said in a statement. "The partnerships we have formed among the police department, human services agencies and nonprofits such as the Anti-Defamation League and the diverse array of clergy in Arlington have proven invaluable. By working together, we are able to tackle the roots of hatred, rather than allowing incidents to fester and escalate by ignoring them."

Mel Goldsipe, vice chair of the Rainbow Commission, urged residents to feel confident to report hate crimes.

"I hope people see our Human Rights, Rainbow, and Disability Commissions as clear signs that the town takes these issues seriously," Goldsipe said. "So people should feel confident that whether they report an incident to one of these groups or to the police directly, it will be taken seriously."

Previously: Arlington Sees Spike In Hate Crimes: FBI Data

Photo by Jenna Fisher (Patch Staff)