International conference “Policing, Combating and Preventing Hate Crimes”

On 21 November the Latvian Centre for Human Rights organised an international conference “Policing, Combating and Preventing Hate Crimes”.

The rising number of hate crimes and manifestations of intolerance in Europe has urged the police and other law enforcement bodies to re-evaluate their responses to hate crimes. It has required the development of new and innovative approaches in combating hate crimes that would, inter alia, address the issue of victims’ experiences and victim’s perspective in policing work, and strengthen regular and effective co-operation between the police and NGOs and communities.

The conference analysed the experience of police and prosecutors in several EU Member States in investigating, combating and preventing hate crimes. Police representatives from Stockholm, Amsterdam, Finland and the UK spoke on their experiences and new initiatives in dealing with hate crimes.

The conference highlighted good examples of police and NGO, and community partnerships and also focused on victims’ experiences, including findings of research on the impact of hate crimes on victims in Latvia and forthcoming hate crime victim survey in the EU Member States undertaken by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency. The conference looked at the study conducted in Finland on hate crimes and their path through the criminal justice system as well as challenges and concerns regarding prosecution of such crimes.

The conference is organised by the Latvian Centre for Human Rights within the framework of project “Combating hate crimes in Latvia and the Czech Republic: legislation, police practise and the role of NGOs”. The objective of the project is to increase knowledge and capacity of law enforcement and NGOs in Latvia and the Czech Republic to address hate crime, as well as to establish criteria and tools for effective policing of such crime within the existing legislative framework. The project is funded by the European Commission through “2005 Actions in support of civil society in the Member States which acceded to the European Union on 1st May 2004”.


 

Conference's programm

 

OSCE approach to policing hate crimes: ODIHR Guidelines and practical experience, Nasrin Khan, ODIHR expert

 

Monitoring and Prevention of Hate Crime (and Incidents) in Policing Work -  Chris Taylor Independent Consultant (Formerly Chief Inspector,  London’s Metropolitan Police)

 

Suspected crimes with racist characteristics in the criminal justice process Case study: Helsinki 2006 -  Laura Peutere, Police College of Finland Funded by the ‘Yes - equality is priority’ EU programme

 

Skinheads in Joensuu. Problems, Effects and Solutions - Jukka Walling, Sergeant Police Department of Joensuu

 

Latvija: attīstība cīņā ar naida noziegumiem  - Anhelita Kamenska, Latvijas Cilvēktiesību centrs

 

Stockholm County Police. Project on Hate Crimes  -  Detective Inspector Wenche Déas-Mobergh, Detective  Sandra Emthén

 

The Youth Team -  Jarkko Riikonen, Special Youth Worker

 

Practical experience -  Monique Tabak Police Amsterdam-Amstelland

 

EU-MIDIS Surveying ‘hate crime’ against immigrants and ethnic minorities -  Dr. Jo Goodey, Interim Head of Department ‘Freedoms and Justice’,  EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS (FRA)

 

Attacking what I am, Psychological effects of hate crime – individual experience or community effect? Inta Dzelme, Ph. D.

Attachments

Published: 2008-11-24