In the last several weeks, SMART has met with senior officials at the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies. These meetings have involved discussions about no-fly lists and training federal employees to ensure awareness of the Sikh articles of faith. During these meetings, SMART was assured that the Transportation Security Administration, which now oversees approximately 45,000 airport screeners, is using its resources to train current and new employees. Furthermore, since September 11, 2001, SMART has been part of a small working group headed by FBI Director Robert Muller, that meets regularly to address hate crimes and other law enforcement related issues of concern to the Sikh, Arab, and Muslim American communities. Although recent statistics indicate a reduction in the number of hate crimes, SMART is aware that many of these incidents go unreported with in our own community. Therefore, SMART will continue to work with the law enforcement and Sikh community to report, investigate, and prosecute hate crimes across the U.S.
