Mar. 15, 2014

Anti-Defamation League honors law enforcement

The Anti-Defamation League held its annual Helene & Joseph Sherwood Prize for Combating Hate luncheon and awards ceremony on March 11 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. The prize recognizes law enforcement personnel who fight hatred and protect the community from hate-motivated violence. This year, the honorees included two individuals and three groups from Southern California, including the Compton Varrio 155 gang investigation and prosecution multi-agency task force. The group, which brought together personnel from the FBI, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Central District U.S. attorney's office and the U.S. Department of Justice, was responsible for pursuing the violent street gang that terrorized African-American residents of Compton. Compton Mayor Aja Brown thanked the team on behalf of the city. "I know all too well how important law enforcement is to the fabric of our community." The LAPD Counter-Terrorism and Special Operations Bureau was honored for its community policing strategy to prevent hate crimes through discussions and education about different cultures. The group has used innovative techniques, including the world's first community police terrorism Facebook page dedicated solely to outreach. Another group honoree was Impact, a partnership between the Long Beach Police Department and the Long Beach city prosecutor's office, which work together to tackle criminal organizations responsible for hate crimes in the area. Individual awardee John Barrick, senior deputy district attorney for Ventura County, was honored for his commitment to investigating and prosecuting hate crimes. Santa Barbara County Senior Deputy District Attorney Kimberly Siegel was recognized for broadening the DA office's approach to hate-crime prosecutions to include race-motivated crimes between inmates at the Santa Barbara County Jail. "All three group nominees demonstrate a high level of commitment to reducing hate crime and increasing cultural awareness," said ADL Regional Director Amanda Susskind. "Both individual honorees have made exceptional contributions to investigation and prosecution of extremists, making a tangible difference getting these vicious haters off the streets." — Ben Adlin