Bias crime group makes suggestions for police, schools

A task force assembled by Gov. David A. Paterson says schools should educate students and teachers about bias crimes and that law enforcement needs protocols for responding to such crimes.

The group, established in the wake of crimes like the November killing of Ecuadorean immigrant Marcelo Lucero in Patchogue, made its recommendations Saturday.

The recommendations include training for teachers and administrators on how to prevent, recognize and respond to hate crimes, and literature and posters to educate students.

Cesar A. Perales, president and general counsel of the New York City-based rights group LatinoJustice-PRLDF, said such programs are important.

"I know the experience on Long Island indicates that young people are being caught up in the anti-immigrant sentiment," he said.

The group also recommends protocols for police, state, and community-based organizations for responding to hate crimes. The task force is developing a model policy for police statewide and will present a final version next month to the Municipal Police Training Council, which makes recommendations on police training.

"This is an important step in the right direction, particularly with the issue of training local police," Perales said. "I think that makes a tremendous difference."

The group also said prosecutors should be trained on how to best address hate crimes and penal law should be amended.

A hate crime is one that is at least partially motivated by the victims' race, sexual orientation, religion, gender, language or ethnicity.

"Given the number of hate crimes that we have had in the last year, it indicates that there's a grave problem and still continues to be a problem," New York Secretary of State Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez, who sat on the task force, said Saturday. She called the recommendations "a preventative measure."

On Nov. 8, Lucero was walking to a friend's house when a group of seven high school students attacked him, police said. Lucero was fatally stabbed by a member of the group, who police said went out looking to attack a Latino.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy announced June 30 the final parts of his own anti-bias program, including a public service announcement to be aired on cable television and in movie theaters, as well as a DVD to be shown in Suffolk schools.

Levy's initiative was sparked by Lucero's murder, and the announcement came a day after police said a Mastic Beach woman was attacked because of her sexual orientation.

With Marissa Bholan