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Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams announced today that members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office will join Portland-area community and law enforcement organizations and community members for the fourth-annual Building Bridges of Understanding in Our Communities event on October 24, 2019, hosted by the Muslim Educational Trust (MET) in Tigard, Oregon.
This year’s theme is Confronting Hate. This event brings criminal justice and community leaders together to share perspectives and engage in discussions on how to best respond to and prevent future hate-motivated incidents and crimes.
A panel of diverse community perspectives will discuss personal and community experiences with hate-motivated incidents and crimes, reporting, and trauma. The event will conclude with a listening session and facilitated discussion.
Presenters include leaders and subject matter experts from the Western States Center, Portland United Against Hate, Coalition of Communities of Color, Coalition Against Hate Crimes, Latino Network, Oregon District Attorney’s Association, Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police, Oregon Attorney General’s Office, FBI, U.S. Attorney’s Office and others who will present information reviewing recent racial violence trends and data from our community as well as legal and enforcement efforts at the local, state and federal levels.
Community members from Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties are encouraged to attend this free event. Registration is required. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
The Building Bridges of Understanding in Our Communities event series brings leaders from public safety and civil society organizations together to build and strengthen trust with one another and to cultivate that trust within the communities served. The first building bridges event was held in the fall of 2016 at the Muslim Educational Trust. Since the inaugural event, two additional annual events have been held.
The event series is jointly hosted by the Muslim Educational Trust, Washington County Sheriff’s and District Attorney’s Offices, City of Portland New Portlander Commission, City of Lake Oswego, Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office, Vision Action Network, Korean American Coalition, New Portlanders Foundation, Tigard Police Department, Portland Police Bureau, Multnomah County Sheriff’s and District Attorney’s Offices, Urban League of Portland and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
If you have media inquiries or would like to book interviews with steering committee members, please contact Stephen Mayer of the Washington County District Attorney’s Office: Stephen_Mayer@co.washington.or.us, 971-708-8219.
Media outlets are also welcome to contact the following steering committee members directly: