FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AG

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1998

(202) 616-2765

WWW.USDOJ.GOV

TDD (202) 514-1888

STATEMENT OF ATTORNEY GENERAL RENO ON HATE CRIMES LEGISLATION

"Last week's tragic events in Laramie, Wyoming, show once again that we must do more to fight hate crimes in America. Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Matthew Shepard.

"Current federal law does not permit us to prosecute hate crimes based on an individual's gender, disability or sexual orientation. I urge Congress to pass the Hate Crimes Prevention Act this week, which would close the gap in the law. On Wednesday, I will meet with leaders from the Human Rights Campaign's coalition to discuss the fight against hate crimes and this important legislation.

"The Justice Department is working very hard to fight hate crimes. We have prosecuted more than 30 federal hate crime defendants this year. In addition, I have asked each U.S. Attorney to create a Hate Crime Working Group in his or her district, bringing together community leaders along with state and local law enforcement officials. We are working to increase the accuracy of hate crime statistics collected by the FBI by encouraging local law enforcement to report these incidents. Also, we are working with the National District Attorney's Association to enhance cooperation with local prosecutors when identifying, investigating and prosecuting hate crimes."

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