Black community leaders highlight hate crimes
SAN FRANCISCO - Black community leaders and law enforcement came together on Thursday in San Francisco to condemn a recent series of high-profile hate crimes.
The common thread in the incidents has been the fact the victims were targeted because they're black.
In one of the disturbing number of racist incidents, the N-word was scrawled on San Francisco City Hall in June and in another, a non-profit center was covered in racist graffiti.
Community leaders and law enforcement agree that they have to stop.
Most recently, Wendy Drew, was beaten during an attack that started with a man calling her the N-word.
"In my head I'm thinking, 'This is going to just be a verbal argument,'" said Drew. "This is wrong, you can't do that, it's wrong. But instead, he comes, and he just starts hitting me."
Black community leaders say the incidents are part of a disturbing pattern of racial hatred targeting Black people.
Reverend Amos Brown called for victims to tell their stories, and for city leaders and law enforcement to listen.
"The time has come for us to call out the bigotry, hate, and inhumanity that's perpetrated against black folk," said Brown.
On hand to address those concerns, law enforcement leaders from the local and federal levels.
"My office will spare nothing to investigate hate crimes and to bring people to justice," said Bob Tripp, Special Agent in Charge San Francisco Field Office.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins says she is committed to prosecuting those responsible, and that she has first-hand experience, including nearly two years as a hate crime prosecutor.
"I saw what started out as a caseload of four, spike to a caseload of over 30 under our previous president," said Jenkins.
Police Chief Bill Scott says his officers are investing in these incidents. But he said so far there is no hard evidence that hate crimes are on the rise.
"The numbers haven't escalated to that degree. But the dynamic of how people feel, particularly when you get a lot of coverage on a particular incident, I think it amplifies and makes people a lot more anxious," said Scott.
Law enforcement said that victims need to come forward to tell their stories. They say that even if victims experience racial hatred doesn't rise to the level of a crime, it could help prove a pattern of behavior so that if that racist person escalates, they can use those previous reports to help stop them.