Baca to Address Hate Crime Conference in Moscow

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca arrived in Moscow Monday to address an international conference, "Building Civil Society in Russia." The program is addressing the role of courts, law enforcement, prosecutors and citizens, in building a civil society and combating hate crimes in Russia.

"This conference is a giant step toward uniting the world in the fight against ethnic and religious hatred," said Sheriff Baca. "Governments and people across the world must work together in a collaborative effort to defeat the spread of hatred and intolerance infecting our society. Law enforcement must be a leader in this effort."

The delegation attending the conference also includes San Francisco District Attorney Kamala D. Harris, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Charles Haines and Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations Executive Director Robin Toma. They were to meet with the minister of the interior of Russia, a special representative of President Putin, members of the Russian Parliament, and governors of Russian provinces.

Organized by the Bay Area Council for Jewish Rescue and Renewal as part of their continuing program "Climate of Trust," this conference is to promote the benefits of tolerance, dialogue and cooperation across ethnic, religious and regional lines.

Sheriff Baca is nationally acknowledged for his leadership and innovative approach to combating hate crimes. When first elected, Baca redrafted the Department's "Core Values" challenging all deputies to have the "courage to stand against racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, homophobia and bigotry in all its forms." He has since created advisory council to represent minority community, including Chinese, Korean, Lebanese, gay and lesbian, and many others. In the wake of 9/11 he assembled a multi-faith clergy program to encourage support for the Muslim American community and to protect them from hate crimes.

Sheriff Baca is also organizing a new Muslim American Homeland Security Congress, comprised of Muslim community leaders and representatives of community and religious institutions in response to increased threats and hate crimes against Muslim Americans.

The Bay Area Council for Jewish Rescue and Renewal believes that the strongest player in combating the threat of extremism is the United States. Not only can it apply its resources to encourage international collaborations, its history has shown the benefits of promoting civil liberties.