Palo Alto Seeks Help From FBI To Combat Hate Crime, Bigotry
PALO ALTO (KPIX 5) -- The City of Palo Alto has voted to enlist the help of the San Francisco Division of the FBI in order to combat a string of hate crimes and incidents of bigotry.
In a 4-1 vote on March 10, the Human Relations Commission passed a motion "To support a recommendation to bring the FBI and community resources to Palo Alto to do community education on hate crimes. In addition, make a recommendation to the council to increase public awareness and marketing on how to report a hate crime or hate incident."
"It grieves me to no end that we're seeing hate crimes continue to manifest in this community," said Rev. Kaloma Smith, Commission Chairperson, and pastor at University AME Zion Church in Palo Alto.
The commission's vote allows the city to begin working in conjunction with the FBI's San Francisco office on "new strategy to combat hate crime." Smith said the agency can educate Palo Alto citizens on how to help build stronger cases for investigators, by properly documenting and reporting offenders.
"[The FBI] have a unit that is doing specific public education and wants to come into communities," said Smith. "One of the significant things that we need to be able to do, is track and report these hate crimes, when individuals go through the system. We can create a pattern. And when time comes for prosecution, we're able to prosecute them. That is the end goal."
Smith made the proposal against the backdrop of a series of hate crimes and incidents in Palo Alto in the past three years:
Dec 2019: Graffiti spray painted at University AME Zion Church
Aug 2021: Threats of violence against pastor of First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto
Aug 2021: Sushi restaurant owner subjected to 15-minute racist tirade by customer who wanted to pay in cash
Sep 2021: Racist graffiti in Palo Alto parking garage
Jan 2022: Racist graffiti found on El Carmelo Elementary School campus
Feb 2022: Racist flyers distributed around Palo Alto, Berkeley, SF Pacific Heights
"We've been dealing with people in our community for 24 months that have been defaming Black, Asian and Jewish people. And this is dangerous. Now, this is not like a community conversation and this is dangerous," said Smith. "If we don't create a public record, and if we don't create an environment that there are consequences of being reported for saying and doing things, then people will continue to say and do things."
Palo Alto City Councilmember Greer Stone, who once served as the chair of the HRC, and now is the council liaison, called the vote "unprecedented." Stone said partnering with the FBI would send a strong message to would-be bad actors in the city.
"People need to know that Palo Alto is not a target for their hate and their bigotry. And they need to stay the hell out. When people simply stand by and let hate win the day, the only end game is more hate," said Stone.
The FBI's San Francisco Office declined to comment "out of respect for the committee and the voting process."
