Committed to diversity and equal rights, Briarcliffe College will be hosting the upcoming public hearing of the Suffolk County Hate Crimes Task Force on Thursday, September 10, from 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM at the college’s Patchogue campus. This is the second of four such public forums in Suffolk County to address the issue of bias attacks in the region over the last year.
Legislator DuWayne Gregory who spearheaded the creation of the Hate Crimes Task Force will attend the second public hearing on September 10th, along with a number of elected officials. The first public hearing held on August 25th in Wyandanch drew a crowd of 100 community members.
Notes Briarcliffe College President Dr. George Santiago, Jr., “This is a serious issue that has been plaguing so many in Suffolk County. By holding such public forums, I believe we will gain valuable input regarding how to better deal with and hopefully correct this situation. It is vital that we address this problem and allow individuals in the region to voice their opinions.”
The Suffolk County Hate Crimes Task Force is an outgrowth of legislation that Legislator Gregory championed earlier this year to examine the sources of racial tension in the county, to study and analyze the mechanisms used to report hate crime and to provide recommendations on current hate crime legislation. The 13-member task force is charged with submitting a report to the county legislature by February 2010.
For additional information regarding the upcoming public hearing, please contact Legislator DuWayne Gregory at 631 854-1111.
