PH Consulate General in Los Angeles Participates in the 2020 Asian Hate Crime Virtual Summit 

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva gives his opening remarks during the Asian Hate Crime Summit held on 28 May 2020. (Los Angeles PCG photo)

LOS ANGELES 04 June 2020 – The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles participated in the 2020 Asian Hate Crime Summit with virtual town hall, organized by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) on 28 May 2020.

The virtual Summit lasted for an hour and covered discussions on hate incidents and hate crimes against the Asian-American community and the ways in which LASD is working, in partnership with other law enforcement agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), to ensure the safety of Los Angeles County residents.

In his opening remarks, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said that it is the aim of the Hate Crime Summit to create awareness among community members on this issue, as well as to inform them on how the community and the LASD can work together to address it and ensure the safety of all residents regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, physical, or mental disability.

Special Agent Salvador Tamburrino discussed the FBI’s role and its coordination with LASD in handling cases of hate crimes and incidents. He further encouraged the public to report any incident of hate to authorities and presented ways on how victims and witnesses can more effectively file a report.

Captain Eddie Hernandez and Captain Johann Thrall of the LAPD’s Major Crimes Bureau and Community Partnerships Bureau, respectively, reported on statistics of hate crimes and incidents that the LASD handled in 2019 and 2020. They also emphasized the importance of the community’s role in reporting hate crimes and similar incidents to enable the Sheriff’s Department to investigate and take action.

During the question and answer portion of the town hall, Sheriff Villanueva remarked on the issue of underreporting hate crimes, particularly from undocumented communities who have a tendency to not report crimes because of their immigration status. To address this concern, he informed the public that the LASD does not involve federal immigration enforcement in handling cases of hate crimes and incidents.

The Consulate General participated as an observer and was represented by Cultural Officer Maria Dolores C. Sales and Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) Officer Judelyn M. Cuaresma. END

Speakers of the the 2020 Asian Hate Crime Summit on 28 May 2020. (Los Angeles PCG photo)

For more information, visit https://www.philippineconsulatela.org or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinLA/.