Earlier today we wrapped up a fantastic forum hosted with the Sikh American community in Las Vegas, NV. Thanks to the hospitality of the management at Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh and the agency representatives, the forum was a great success! The sangat (congregation) had an opportunity to interact with government officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Members of the community expressed concerns around racially motivated threats within the local Las Vegas community and had a chance todiscuss the issue directly with FBI officials. “The Sikh American community is every bit a part of the larger Las Vegas community, and we would love to continue to engage with community members and leaders to ensure safety and quality of life,” commented Holly James, the Community Outreach Specialist with the FBI-Las Vegas Division. Special Agent Jeffrey Williams presented on behalf of the Cyber Crimes Squad, discussing Internet related threats including Identity Theft, social media, and bank fraud. Having a community that is focused on the development of our Sikh youth, the focus on social media gave the parents in the congregation a chance to really hear and understand the outside threats that families and students are exposed to on a daily basis and how to protect themselves. The sangat also got a chance to hear from Kenneth Mead, a Detective with the Las Vegas Metro Police Department on the issue of Hate Crimes. Detective Mead has been part of the Las Vegas law enforcement community for quite sometime, with experience within the Sikh American community via collaboration with SALDEF on various outreach efforts. He took the opportunity to discuss what the process is for investigating hate crimes, how they are declared as such, and how to report any incidents that happen to Sikh Americans. Lucy Orta, Local Director of the Las Vegas Office with the EEOC took some time to discuss various types of workplace related discrimination issues, as well as the process in which to report these problems. It was a great opportunity for community members to connect with her regarding issues they have faced while in the work place or applying for work. The EEOC and SALDEF have a collaborative relationship that allows Sikh American community members to report issues either directly to SALDEF that will reach the EEOC immediately. We encourage members to report any issues they have in the workplace to SALDEF via info@saldef.org. All of the agencies representatives also took some time to discuss employment opportunities and career development paths with the community members present, encouraging all eligible applicants to apply. If you interested in any of the opportunities discussed, please email info@saldef.org. On behalf of SALDEF, we would like to thank the government agencies that took time our of their Sunday to come and speak with community members in Las Vegas, as well as the Las Vegas sangat members that made the time to engage with the guest speakers during the program at Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh. If you would like a SALDEF volunteer or staff member to conduct Know Your Rights Forum for your local sangat, please contact SALDEF by email at info@saldef.org.
