Defendant Name, Hate Crimes, Florida 2024

MIAMI – In a time when hate crimes are on the rise, U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe is taking a stand against religious-based violence and threats to places of worship. On January 30, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the FBI hosted a Protecting Places of Worship forum, facilitated by the Community Relations Service, with nearly 200 faith and community leaders as part of the United Against Hate initiative.

The Protecting Places of Worship forum brought together U.S. representatives and others, including faith-based leaders and congregants, federal and state prosecutors, and law enforcement and public safety personnel to prevent and combat hate crimes and protect local faith-based institutions. Attendees came together to learn about and discuss best practices for protecting and securing places of worship, hate crimes laws, and how to identify, report, and prevent threats.

“In a time when we are witnessing a rise in religious-based violence, hate crimes, and threats to our places of worship, yesterday’s forum in support of the United Against Hate initiative could not be more imperative,” stated U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe. “One of the best ways to prevent crimes fueled by religious bias is to ensure that our faith-based leaders have the information and resources they need to help protect their places of worship and congregants. No one should live in fear because of their religious beliefs. We must all speak out against the insidious threats that strike at our right to practice our religious beliefs freely and safely. Remember, united, we are stronger than hate.”

Said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, “Everyone who attends a religious service deserves to do so in peace. Yesterday’s gathering marked another milestone in our ongoing partnership with faith-based community leaders to protect houses of worship from those intent on violence. Hate crimes are the highest priority of the FBI’s civil rights program. As such, we want our religious leaders to have the latest information on ways to secure their facilities and deal with threats that may come their way. We hope that the forum serves to further educate our faith communities about civil rights laws, maintain an open dialogue, and encourage ongoing cooperation between law enforcement and these important communities. Our common goal is to ensure people are safe.”

The Protecting Places of Worship forum fostered partnerships and engagement, providing attendees with federal, state, and local resources to help protect and secure places of worship. Forum partners included the Community Relations Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Defense Agency, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, the Broward State Attorney’s Office, the Broward Sherriff’s Office, the Miami-Dade County Asian American Advisory Board, the Miami-Dade County Interfaith Advisory Board, the Anti-Defamation League of Florida, and the Coalition of South Florida Muslim Organizations.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement and community partners will not stop working to protect everyone in South Florida from unlawful acts of hate.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland started the United Against Hate program in September 2022 to convene local forums that connect community groups to federal, state, and local law enforcement to increase community understanding and reporting of hate crimes; build trust between law enforcement and these critical communities; and to provide resources and support to prevent hate crimes.

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