Montgomery county, maryland is a vibrant community located within the washington, DC metropolitan area

This $2,000,000 Project Grant awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Education, Investigation and Prosecution Program (CFDA 16.040) supports Montgomery County, Maryland's initiatives to address a significant increase in bias incidents and hate crimes. Key deliverables include: (1) funding hate crime analyst positions to identify and investigate hate crimes and bias incidents, (2) conducting annual training for police staff on responding to and preventing hate crimes, and (3) installing security cameras at religious institutions and other locations to monitor criminal activity. This comprehensive approach aims to enhance the county's capacity to prevent, identify, investigate, and prosecute hate crimes based on victims' perceived or actual race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability.

With a population of over 1 million people, IT is the most populous and diverse county in maryland. Montgomery county has seen a significant increase in reporting of bias incidents in recent years. Specifically, bias incidents have increased in each of the last five years, with particular increases in incidents related to physical structures (e.g., churches, synagogues, mosques, schools). These trends have led to new, county-wide initiatives in recent years, including the formation of an anti-hate task force. This task force produced a series of recommendations in december 2023, including specific recommendations for the montgomery county police department (MCPD). Some of the specific recommendations for MCPD included hiring additional staff to better track and investigate bias and hate crime incidents, and conducting public outreach events and internal trainings to improve citizen engagement and police conduct with respect to bias. As part of this program, specific deliverables include (1) funding hate crime analyst positions, focused on identifying and investigating instances of hate crimes and bias incidents; (2) supporting annual training initiatives for police staff, including sworn officers, and (3) investing in security cameras for religious institutions and other physical locations. These cameras will be part of a coordinated, county-wide effort to monitor criminal activity at private locations, including businesses and residences.