City Council to consider resolution addressing hate crimes Thursday night

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Poised to make good on a promise one of its members made during the recent anti-racism rally on the courthouse square, the Greencastle City Council will consider a resolution addressing hate crimes in Indiana at its May meeting Thursday night.

The Council meeting, which is open to the public, is set for 7 p.m. at City Hall.

During the April 21 anti-racism rally that came in response to a series of racially motivated incidents on and around the DePauw University campus, Councilman Tyler Wade urged the estimated 120 attendees to join him in encouraging the City Council and Mayor Bill Dory "to adopt legislation that outlaws discrimination in the City of Greencastle."

After an outburst of applause, Wade went on to suggest the Council likewise urge Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb and the Indiana General Assembly to adopt a statewide hate crimes law to enhance sentences for those who commit crimes, intended to spread fear among marginalized peoples.

Thursday night those words are expected to turn into action when Resolution 2018-4 is introduced by Council President Adam Cohen.

The resolution points out that not enough has been done on the issue, despite the Council passing a 2015 resolution making it a priority to welcome and promote diversity among its citizens, visitors and businesses and stating that all city offices and companies doing business with the city not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age or U.S. military veteran status.

"More work needs to be done to ensure all citizens are made to feel welcome and to promote a diverse community," the new resolution states.

The resolution also notes that 45 states and the District of Columbia all have hate crime legislation on the books, while Indiana does not.

As validation of its need, the resolution points out that the recent racially biased events reported within the community -- including several incidents involving racially derogatory messages -- "have made it clear that state law does not allow for adequate prosecution of actions that in other states are considered hate crimes."

The City Council calls upon each of the state legislators who represents the city -- District 44 State Rep. Jim Baird (R-Greencastle), District 24 State Sen. John Crane (R-Avon) and District 37 State Sen. Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville) -- "to publicly state their position on the issue of hate crime legislation."

Further, the Council asks them to introduce hate crime legislation at the state level during the 2019 legislative session.

In closing, the Council condemns the actions of those responsible for the recent events and thanks the Greencastle Police Department and the DePauw Office of Public Safety for their work in investigating the incidents.

In other business Thursday night, the City Council is scheduled to set times and dates for interviews with candidates for its Greencastle School Board appointment. Deadline to complete and return an application for the position, currently filled by Lisa Lazar, is May 18. Her initial term expires June 30, so the Council will need to make its appointment or reappointment at its June meeting or a special session after May 18.

Besides Council President Cohen and Wade, the Council includes members Stacie Langdon, Steve Fields, Mark Hammer, Gary Lemon and Dave Murray.

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    Was anyone ever identified as being responsible for the recent acts? I think I recall some kid admitting to the arranged stones over on the trail or whatever but that's all...

    -- Posted by DouglasQuaid on Tue, May 8, 2018, at 4:09 PM
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