Washington, DC — SALDEF urges the Sikh American community to report hate crimes and bias incidents to appropriate authorities. Recent government, academic, and nonprofit reports point to a rise in such bias incidents during tumultuous political seasons. Therefore, we encourage Sikh Americans to accurately report these incidents and allow local, state, and federal authorities to respond to emerging trends. “Many Sikh Americans tell us that it’s no big deal when they hear threatening remarks or have their property vandalized with racist graffiti,” said SALDEF Executive Director Deepinder Singh. “We want Sikh Americans to report these incidents to us right away so we can take appropriate action.”
While the FBI produces a Uniform Crime Report every year, it provides hate crime data in a separate report. SALDEF is working with government agencies such as the FBI’s Civil Rights Division and coalition partners like the Anti-Defamation League to provide more accurate information about hate crimes and bias incidents. SALDEF will continue to collaborate with government officials and coalition partners to address these issues. If you have any questions about reporting hate crimes and bias incidents, please email info@saldef.org or call our national office at 202-393-2700. SALDEF has addressed these issues for nearly two decades. To read more about our Law Enforcement Partnership Program, please visit http://saldef.wpengine.com/initiatives/law-enforcement/. **Please Share this Announcement on Email, Social Media, and Post at your Local Gurdwara. Thank You.**
