PREVENTION OF HATE CRIMES – Year 4

Voces Latinas Anti-Hate Crime, Anti-Racist and Anti-Oppression Taskforce (The Taskforce) continue to promote the efforts and prevention initiatives developed by our anti-hate crime coalition Queens Partners Against Hate to create safe neighborhoods free from hate-based violence, which includes violence against marginalized communities living in Queens based on race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other characteristics defined in New York’s hate crime law. The Taskforce continues to raise awareness of our Anti-Hate Crime Survey and disseminate results to community and local officials and educate the community about what constitutes a hate crime and how to report it to law enforcement.

The Taskforce also continues to promote hate-crime prevention based on The Office of Prevention of Hate Crimes that focuses on education, community relations, and laws and law enforcement emphasizing that all New Yorkers have the right to be safe in their homes, neighborhoods, houses of worship, schools, and businesses.

In 2024-2025, Voces Latinas will launch a Restorative Justice program under the guidance of The Taskforce and members will be trained in the Restorative Justice Framework and facilitation of healing circles. Taskforce members will then train and support Voces Latinas staff working with survivors or victims of hate crime violence, domestic violence, and intimate partner violence.

Part of the Taskforce’s mission is to create and promote an environment that is socially conscious, responsive, and empathetic and work towards dismantling structural barriers and social constructs by addressing, educating and developing policies and procedures as well as safe spaces for staff, clients and community to promote equity and well-being for all by actively listening and responding to feedback as a tool for knowledge, growth and change.

Through the Restorative Justice framework, the Taskforce will focus on core philosophical approaches including:

1. Identifying Needs and Repairing harm

a. Understanding harm caused and impact made on individuals and communities.

2.       Active accountability

a.       Taking responsibility and working on repairing the harm caused in ways that are responsive to those that are most affected.

3.       Centering relationships and community

a.       Building, maintaining, and repairing relationships.

b.       Create spaces which all people are equally valued, respected and all voices are heard.

c.        Provide opportunities to hear from the people most directly impacted and practice collective decision-making to address the harm.

4.       Voluntary participation

a.       Inviting those most directly impacted and those responsible for the harm and their communities of care to participate and be involved.

Goals:

1.      Convene 6 monthly Anti-Hate Crime, Anti-Racist, and Anti-Oppression Taskforce meetings.

2.       Schedule presentations by the community relations and crime prevention officers from the 110th and 115th Precincts for Taskforce.

3.       Create and disseminate anti-hate crime palm cards during community outreach that defines a hate crime and instructions on how to report a hate crime.

4.       Collaborate with the Hispanic Federation to recruit 10-15 Voces Latinas clients for an in-person focus group for those who have reported being victims of a hate-crime.

5.       Provide training on the Restorative Justice and Healing Circles from The Restorative Center.

6.       Train domestic violence team on the Restorative Justice Framework and begin to conduct healing circles training.

7.       Host 1 healing circle for survivors or victims of hate violence, domestic violence, and intimate partner violence.

8.       Co-host a 1-day in-person training in collaboration with the Hispanic Federation that will provide an upstander workshop, empowerment self-defense, and create a toolkit for establishing an anti-hate crime coalition.