LA City Council Passes Hate Crime Prevention Legislation
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- The Los Angeles City Council is taking action against hate crimes.
Members passed on Wednesday a Public Safety Committee report which instructs the Los Angeles Police Department to take steps to protect vulnerable institutions, including synagogues and other cultural centers, from hate-motivated crimes.
The move comes after an LAPD report showed that hate crimes are up in the city for the fourth year in a row.
"We will not give in to fear or cynicism," Ryu said in a statement. "We will not accept this as the new normal. We will stand together, across communities and across neighborhoods, as one of the most diverse cities on Earth and make Los Angeles a national leader in hate crime prevention. This legislation is the first step in ensuring that our city is prepared and our communities are protected."
The legislation began with a motion introduced by councilmembers David Ryu, Paul Koretz and Bob Blumenfield.
It seeks to establish a hotline for hate crime prevention and to update the victim's assistance website to be accessible in more languages.