Taking a stand against hate crimes

Alberta’s government is targeting hatemotivated crimes and racism with new law enforcement resources and a fresh approach to working with affected communities to ensure Albertans of racialized backgrounds are protected and heard.

A new community liaison on hate crimes will connect directly with ethnic and religious groups and sexual minority communities most targeted by hate-motivated crimes. Working with these groups, the liaison will provide government with a range of perspectives and expertise on how we can tackle hate-motivated crimes and incidents across the province.

Alberta will also set up a provincial Hate Crimes Coordination Unit. This unit will work with law enforcement to improve and harmonize hate crime mitigation efforts across the province and facilitate training opportunities, intelligence gathering and investigative supports.

This includes strengthening the approach to successfully prosecuting individuals charged with hate-motivated crimes.

“Alberta’s government is committed to the safety and security of all communities that have been impacted by these despicable hate-motivated crimes. From Black Muslim women in Edmonton and Calgary attacked for wearing hijab to the recent rise in anti-Semitism and antiAsian hate, these incidents have had a significant impact on Albertans from diverse backgrounds. The new community liaison and Hate Crimes Coordination Unit is a critical step in addressing racism in our province and is the result of strong government leadership and community advocacy,” said Leela Sharon Aheer, Minister of Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women.

Both the new liaison position and coordination unit are in the early stages of development. More details will be shared in the coming weeks.