Protecting Centers of Community

The Protecting Centers of Community forum is a half-day session that brings together – either in person or virtually – federal law enforcement, state law enforcement, local law enforcement, tribal officials, government officials, community organizations, mental health professionals, and interested members of the community. This forum provides a space for discussions and the sharing of information on hate crimes, reporting procedures, and preventing and responding to violent incidents, as well as building safety. The program encourages the implementation of a security program, offers best practices for security, fosters networking and community outreach, and provides resources such as examples of security plans and community responses.

Program Goals

• Network with subject matter experts and members of the community to share ideas, best practices, and resources to protect centers of community.
• Identify best practices for protecting centers of community.
• Improve participants’ understanding of local, state, and federal hate crimes laws and ways to report alleged hate crimes.
• Build a community-based working group tasked with working on safety and security issues.
• Identify federal, state, tribal, and local resources, programs, and tools to help protect/secure centers of community.

Forum Includes the Following Components

• Law enforcement experts provide an overview of federal and state hate crimes
• Law enforcement experts provide an overview of hate crimes statistics and symbols
• Law enforcement and security experts provide an overview of strategies to secure facilities and prepare community leaders and attendees for active shooter situations.
• Moderated discussion among community leaders who have implemented measures to secure community facilities.
• Moderated discussion among mental health and social services providers about the impact of hate crimes and available resources.