Orange County’s Grand Jury has called out county supervisors for rolling back many of their efforts to track and combat hate crimes and hate incidents throughout the county.
Their report came after county supervisors voted to gag the members of the commission they created to report on hate crimes and incidents and cut ties with the principal nonprofit who helped fund their education campaigns to end hate.
[Read: Orange County Gags Commission Created to Combat Hate Crimes]
After gagging the commission, they also voted to shrink its size and scale back its mission, cutting any mention of hate incidents that don’t rise to the level of a crime.
[Read: An Incomplete Picture: Tackling Hate Crimes in Orange County]
County grand jurors questioned why supervisors gutted the program.
“All the above decisions raised concerns about the County’s commitment to addressing systemic bias, hate crimes, and discrimination,” grand jurors wrote.
Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento, who opposed the changes to the commission at the time, said he was “pleased,” by the results of the grand jury probe, noting that it was time for supervisors to reexamine the issue.
“I fear we have limited the capacity of this Commission to help provide a safe forum for the community, and reduced the critical role they play in data gathering,” Sarmiento wrote in a Thursday statement. “I will be bringing the need to strengthen the work of the Commission back to the Board.”
Supervisor Doug Chaffee, the other vote against changing the commission’s rules, declined to comment.
Their report also found that only around two out of three Orange County schools track hate crimes and incidents that occur on campus, and that just over half of Orange County cities have any formal hate crime policy.
Of the county’s 33 cities, only 19 collect any data on hate crimes.
“Many cities do not have formal, stand-alone plans dedicated to hate crime prevention,” grand jurors wrote. “A common theme across the survey responses is the need for stronger networks for resource sharing, and collaboration with community organizations, schools, and religious institutions.”
Despite calling out county supervisors for rolling back their anti-hate programs, jurors commended efforts made by the county sheriff’s department, the district attorney, the county department of education and a slate of nonprofits including Groundswell, the county’s former contractor.
But they noted that right now, Orange County doesn’t have a good way of tracking hate.
“The Orange County Human Relations Commission’s current methodology for compiling hate crime and incident statistics—relying only on reports from local law enforcement agencies—contributes to data incompleteness,” jurors wrote. “Orange County lacks a centralized, coordinated, county-led system that unites all stakeholders to prevent and respond to hate crimes and incidents.”
Noah Biesiada is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at nbiesiada@voiceofoc.org.
