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 area 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 assessment 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 neighborhood and anti-gay slurs were thrown absolutely it s time for an study Bell notified GPB in March Bell certified Monday that the new training undertaking 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 values history and the diversity of Savannah s queer group 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 public 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 campaign coincides with the expansion and reimagining of the Savannah Police Department s LGBTQ liaison initiative Bell disclosed 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 undertaking like this Bell disclosed characterizing the initiative as turning the corner on just someone having this position in name to in fact having tools in this venture to make the biggest step towards safety for our LGBTQ plus region that s really ever been taken in the city This comprehensive strategy he reported will incorporate district engagement training management operational sponsorship 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 declaration that SPD is dedicated to serving all who live work and visit Savannah and that this includes working closely with the LGBTQ neighborhood to ensure their rights dignity and safety are not infringed upon Bell acknowledged that selected society members may remain skeptical of law enforcement particularly after the department s handling of the Fentress development 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 district and to best serve them Bell announced explaining that accurate reporting of hate crimes is essential for evolving appropriate initiatives and securing grants for public 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