Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne today highlighted his office's hate crimes policy to shed a light on what he said is a growing number of incidents in the county.
The county now has the ability to track both hate crimes and hate incidents, that previously weren't tracked unless charges were filed.
"They need to be treated with the utmost seriousness, and will not be tolerated in Dane County," Ozanne said at a Monday morning news conference.
The policy has been in effect since the middle of November, according to Ozanne. It is included as part of the county's Equity and Inclusion plan and includes training and guidelines for how crimes fueled by hate will be handled by the District Attorney's Office.
By establishing the new policies, prosecutors are seeking justice for victims.
"We did this because we've seen a rise in hate-filled criminal behavior," Ozanne said.
Also at the news conference, Angela Bazan of the McFarland School District talked about working with Masood Akhtar, founder and president of We Are Many – United Against Hate, to promote tolerance and acceptance in the community.
To read more go to WKOW: https://wkow.com/2019/12/30/dane-county-d-a-puts-focus-on-hate-crimes/