Reporting to the Unit Chief and Deputy Unit Chief, our Hate Crimes Unit now includes 20 cross-designated prosecutors, two senior investigative analysts, and a paralegal. The Unit is supported by specially trained staff across multiple areas of the Office, including the Community Partnerships Unit’s Deputy Director for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, investigators proficient in Cantonese, victim services counselors and advocates fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin, and an LGBTQIA+ victim services advocate.
Notable cases:
- March 2023: Jarrod Powell was sentenced to 22 years in prison for brutally assaulting Yao Pan Ma, a 61-year-old Chinese immigrant, for no other reason than his race – leading to Mr. Ma’s death eight months after the attack.
- April 2022: We indicted a man who assaulted two Black men in Midtown in October 2021 while saying anti-Black slurs. He is charged with multiple counts of Assault and Attempted Assault as a Hate Crime, as well as Aggravated Harassment in the Second Degree.
- November 2022: We indicted a man for a series of bias-related arsons that targeted LGBTQIA+ establishments, including the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in Greenwich Village.
We’re working closely with community partners to increase reporting of hate crimes. We’re also enhancing our language abilities and cultural competency to serve the most targeted communities. And we’re conducting hate crimes trainings for folks across the borough, ranging from law enforcement to schools to religious institutions and more.
