Anti-Hate Crime Resolution Adopted In Delaware County

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — An anti-hate crime resolution has been adopted by the Delaware County Council, denouncing hate crimes in the county.

The resolution was officially adopted Wednesday.

According to county officials, antisemitic vandalism incidents have been reported in the county recently.

Officials said data from the Anti-Defamation League shows Pennsylvania overall saw a 65 percent increase in antisemitic incidents of assault, vandalism, and harassment in 2022.

Pennsylvania State Police data, county officials said, shows Pennsylvania saw a sharp increase in hate crimes in 2021, with 255 incidents reported, almost as many as the previous three years combined.

The county's new resolution states that current Pennsylvania law is inadequate to prevent this surge of hate crimes, and stronger legal protection is necessary to protect the residents of Delaware County and calls on Delaware County residents to stand up against hate.

In part, the resolution reads:

Whereas, bigotry, violence, hate, and racism do not align with the values of Delaware County Council and our community and they have no place in Delaware County and will not be tolerated.

Whereas, hate crimes instill fear across communities and undermine our democracy; and we believe that the vast majority of County residents are as appalled as we are by these crimes, and it is only a small group of persons who are responsible for trying to spread hate in Delaware County.

The council in the resolution urged state lawmakers to promptly pass the package of anti-hate crime bills being considered in the Pennsylvania Legislature.

Additionally, the council also urged all residents to speak up against hateful behavior to create a more just, peaceful, and inclusive society which will benefit everyone.

"We can no longer sit silently," said Delaware County Council Member Richard Womack. "We all know that hate crimes do exist, and we must be outspoken, and we must call that out, and that is what we are doing here today. When I look around our county and I see that people are being targeted because of their race, because of their religion, because of the sexuality, there is something wrong. This Council will not stand for this. We will speak out against it. We will not stand for it."

Read the full resolution online here.