In light of Donald Trump's victory, state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is urging law enforcement agencies across the state to be on the lookout for hate crimes. Zack Fink filed the following report.
State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has issued a bulletin to district attorneys and law enforcement agencies across the state highlighting how a hate or bias crime can be identified and prosecuted. It's a direct response to the rise of Donald Trump and the perceived empowerment of some of his supporters.
"This year's presidential election has laid bare some deep divisions in our nation," Schneiderman said. "The depth of those divisions and the ugliness of the rhetoric during the campaign surprised and even frightened many New Yorkers."
It's one of several initiatives Democratic leaders are taking to help New Yorkers feel safe in the current climate. Governor Cuomo has set up a hotline to report such crimes.
Just recently, a piece of graffiti showed up in upstate Wellsville, New York. It shows a swastika with the slogan "Make America White Again," a clear play on Republican President-elect Donald Trump's campaign slogan of "Make America Great Again."
In January, the new state legislative session will get underway, and already, lawmakers are looking at new ways to strengthen constitutional protections and civil rights of all New Yorkers. For example, hateful graffiti is currently not characterized as a bias crime.
"I'm introducing legislation that would include graffiti or the making of graffiti in the list of specified offences that could be coupled with hate crimes and hate crime penalties," said Assemblywoman Nily Rozic of Queens.
"There are things we can do to strengthen our laws. And we have to be vigilant," Schneiderman said. "And in addition to writing checks to an organization on the front lines, I urge everyone to contact your local representatives."
While Democrats may favor new legislation, it's unclear what kind of partner they will have with the Republican-controlled state Senate, which actually strengthened its majority in elections last week. Senate Republicans might also be less eager to work with Democrats, including Governor Andrew Cuomo, who campaigned hard against Republican incumbents, only to come up short.