Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Tuesday a statewide “hate and bias prevention” unit during an event at Manhattan’s Lincoln Square Synagogue hosted by the Orthodox Union.
Antisemitism was the focus of the event with multiple political officials condemning the increasing number of crimes against the Jewish community. Democratic New York Mayor Eric Adams, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and Democratic New York Sen. Chuck Schumer were also in attendance, according to the Times of Israel.
“New York State will use every tool at its disposal to eliminate hate and bias from our communities,” Hochul stated during the event. “We will not let the rise in hate incidents that we see happening online, across the country and across the world, take root here at home.” (RELATED: GoFundMe Campaign Raises Nearly $18,000 In Response To Vandalism Of Jewish Menorah At University In New York)
Hochul put out an official press release following the event. The press release noted that the new unit would serve as an “early warning detection system.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 12: Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer joins other politicians and Jewish leaders for a conference addressing the rise in antisemitic incidents across the United States at the Lincoln Square Synagogue in Manhattan on December 12, 2022, in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The New York State Division of Human Rights (DHR) will be responsible for overseeing the unit and its activities. The unit will be divided into “10 regional councils across the state made up of local stakeholders” that hold trainings, organize events for affected communities and help file complaints with the DHR.
On top of this, the new program is responsible for a “statewide campaign” with public and private organizations, churches, schools, and local government regarding “acceptance, inclusion, tolerance and understanding of diversity.” The NYPD will also work with the unit to educate citizens on New York’s hate crime laws.
In November, Hochul announced that $96 million would be dedicated to the safety of nonprofits at risk of hate crimes. The announcement coincided with an increase in harassment and attacks on the Jewish community in recent months.
From Jan. 1 to Sept. 30 the New York Police Department confirmed 195 hate crimes directed at the Jewish community. The NYPD reported 45 antisemitic hate crimes in the last quarter alone.
Hochul did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation request for comment.
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