Savannah Pride Center, police partner on LGBTQ training to ‘turn the corner’ on hate crime reporting

Chris Allen Vilegas Fentress File The Savannah Pride Center is partnering with the city s police department to conduct officer training on how to better identify and respond to hate crimes against LGBTQ people following district calls for improved police response to such incidents The collaboration comes after the controversial police handling of the March shooting death of Chris Allen Vilegas Fentress a -year-old Savannah Pride Center volunteer who was allegedly murdered at a Dollar General store on West Bay Street by an assailant who reportedly shouted anti-gay slurs Johnathan Manson was arrested the following day and charged with murder He has not entered a plea according to court records and has not been charged with a hate crime The Savannah Police Department declined to document Fentress killing as a hate crime despite what Savannah Pride Center executive director Michael Bell described as clear indicators When the shooter has a history of anti-gay messages that they ve posted on their social media when the victim is visibly identifiably part of our public and anti-gay slurs were thrown absolutely it s time for an examination Bell described GPB in March Bell authenticated Monday that the new training project stemmed directly from Fentress death and subsequent meetings with police leadership to have a discussion about what we can do and what our asks were to better serve our society Under the partnership Savannah Pride Center staff will conduct Safe Space Training for new police recruits and provide ongoing coaching for current officers The curriculum will cover LGBTQ terminology beliefs history and the diversity of Savannah s queer public extending beyond basic sensitivity training to also include practical policing concerns It s also understanding and having communication over trends in crimes involving the LGBTQ population educating around bias incidents and what that looks like because we want to be able to turn the corner on reporting hate crimes in Savannah he explained The project coincides with the expansion and reimagining of the Savannah Police Department s LGBTQ liaison scheme Bell noted with the new approach distributing liaison responsibilities across precincts and divisions rather than relying on a single designated officer There s so much to a initiative like this Bell revealed characterizing the initiative as turning the corner on just someone having this position in name to truly having tools in this project to make the biggest step towards safety for our LGBTQ plus society that s really ever been taken in the city This comprehensive strategy he reported will incorporate area engagement training management operational advocacy and victim services specifically tailored to bias-related crimes Savannah Police Chief Lenny Gunther affirmed the department s commitment to the new partnership saying in a comment that SPD is dedicated to serving all who live work and visit Savannah and that this includes working closely with the LGBTQ public to ensure their rights dignity and safety are not infringed upon Bell acknowledged that particular group members may remain skeptical of law enforcement particularly after the department s handling of the Fentress affair but he defended the organization s decision to engage with police as a pragmatic step toward ensuring the safety of LGBTQ Savannahians We have a responsibility to protect our public and to best serve them Bell declared explaining that accurate reporting of hate crimes is essential for growing appropriate offerings and securing grants for group services Georgia s hate crime statute is relatively new having been enacted in in response to the racially motivated murder of Ahmaud Arbery whose killers were convicted on state murder charges and federal hate crime charges The post Savannah Pride Center police partner on LGBTQ training to turn the corner on hate crime reporting appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta