A small but highly interested group met at the East Brunswick Jewish Center (EBJC) on Thursday evening, May 22 for the presentation “How to Recognize Bias Crimes.” Investigator Joseph Alves Jr. from the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) Bias Crimes Unit taught attendees how to recognize bias crimes and how to report them. The program was presented under the auspices of the statewide campaign “No Hate in the Garden State,” whose purpose is to raise awareness about bias incidents and crimes.

Alves began his presentation saying that although the definitions and terminology are a bit “dry,” they are important to understand. “Most negative biases have no basis in validation and are merely repeating a learned behavior.” Negative biases can develop and spread quickly, such as when Asian communities in New Jersey were targeted in 2020 when they were blamed for the spread of COVID-19.

Bias intimidation can take the form of either an incident or a crime. It is considered a crime if someone or someplace is targeted specifically for their race, ethnicity, or other protected class such as color, religion, gender and gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, or national origin. It is considered an incident if the occurrence was not based on any of the protected classes, but escalated to include the class. The example was given of a case of road rage where the ensuing confrontation included the use of a racial slur. Alves explained that the original event was based on dislike of a driver’s action, not targeting the driver for membership in a specific class.

It is critical that each bias event be reported. Even seemingly minor incidents can serve to present an escalating pattern of events. More importantly, they can serve as a means for the perpetrator to learn that their actions have consequences and they may learn to change or modify their behavior to keep the situation from escalating. It is recommended that bias events be reported to the local police department (preferably), to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office at www.njoag.gov/bias, via the bias crime portal at bias.njcivilrights.gov, or by calling 800-277-BIAS (2427). Reporting can be done anonymously, but law enforcement can better investigate the matter with more information. Alves stressed the importance of reporting, despite concerns. The fear of what things can escalate to is often worse than any potential retaliation.

Nearly every state has enacted some form of laws against bias crimes since 1979. Statistics have shown some instances where it appears that there have been marked increases in bias crimes. Lieutenant Janessa Jones of the DCJ said, “While the numbers appear to be on an increase, the situation may seem worse because people have been getting smarter about reporting and are doing so,” where in the past, they may not have.

Christian Harden, deputy chief of detectives at the DCJ, noted that “it is just important to give everyone information on how to report bias crimes and incidents. It’s that simple” to set things in motion. Harden noted that many people don’t report incidents because they “don’t want to get involved and fear retaliation. The truth of the matter is, if you experience the incident, you are already involved. They say they don’t want to have any problems, but if a person experiences a bias attack or incident, they already have a problem.”

Angela Campos, a community relation specialist with the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights, finished the evening’s presentation with a summary of New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination and how it protects individuals for their identity in a protected class as well as perception of their being a part of a protected class in such areas as employment, housing and other situations. While many people are aware of equal pay requirements, most are not aware that each paycheck could potentially be another violation of the law should there be improprieties.

Alves brought the program to the attention of Grant Korten of East Brunswick’s Community Policing Unit, who thought having the session at EBJC would be a perfect fit because of its central location and the Jewish community’s interest and concerns with the general rise of antisemitic incidents worldwide. The timing of the event, just a day after the shootings at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., gave the subject matter more urgency. “This is important information and applies to everyone, now more than ever before,” said Korten. “All bias-related incidents are considered to be of great importance and are handled with the utmost sincerity in our partnership with the public,” said Chief Frank LoSacco, East Brunswick Police, Department of Public Safety.

Alves noted that it is important to spread the word in order to change potential negative behaviors. “It is critical to share what is taught in these sessions with family and friends” to let them know about bias and how to report any incidents. “Although a crowd may be small, it has unlimited reach to relatives, neighbors, coworkers, etc.”

Contact Alves at [email protected] or (609) 403-7957 or (609) 462-2237 to learn more or to schedule a presentation.