Leslie Heathcotte

The subcommittee discussed progress on a stakeholder survey instrument and planning for upcoming law enforcement focus groups. Topics included strategies for law enforcement engagement regarding hate crime legislation and mitigation efforts, specifically focused on the LGBTQ+ community. Considerations were raised regarding nuances in data collection such as gender perception and relationship characterization, and the committee plans to review focus group guides for future scheduling.

The subcommittee discussed the development and distribution strategy for a stakeholder survey instrument, including demographic and identity-related questions. Discussions also covered the planning of law enforcement sessions, with a focus on adapting existing interview guides for the LGBTQ community and targeting specific law enforcement personnel for participation. The Civil Rights Division provided a report on the status of ongoing investigations and lawsuits.

The agenda focuses on the work groups for the Stakeholder Survey instrument and Law Enforcement sessions. It also includes subcommittee business, a report from the Civil Rights Division, and a session for public comments.

The subcommittee discussed its scope of work in relation to statutory language regarding hate crimes, noting the introduction of HB2175 in the Arizona House of Representatives. Key discussion points involved leveraging information from community partners and reviewing a draft scope of work. Strategies for conducting community listening sessions with organizations, members, and law enforcement were reviewed. Additionally, the subcommittee focused on data gathering, identifying resources such as The Treavor Project and the Williams Institute, while acknowledging challenges related to data representativeness and state-specific breakdowns. Task forces were established to address a community survey and law enforcement outreach/data gathering.

Key discussion topics included the finalization of the draft stakeholder survey instrument, which was due by close of business. The work group on Law Enforcement sessions reported that initial sessions would mirror those conducted regarding antisemitism, involving Zoom sessions to gather law enforcement perspectives on hate crime legislation and mitigation efforts focused on the LGBTQ+ community. Specific considerations discussed for these sessions included tracking law enforcement outreach, nuances related to gender perception and relationship characterization, distinguishing youth from adults, and accounting for commercial sex work in relation to hate-based crimes. A focus guide from the antisemitism focus group sessions for law enforcement will be circulated for feedback discussion at the April subcommittee meeting. Additionally, a public comment was received regarding legislative updates and how the public can learn about the subcommittee's findings.