New Jersey county pilots program for LGBTQ community

The Associated Press ^ | October 6, 2021 | By WAYNE PARRY

[Oldeconomybuyer]

FREEHOLD, N.J. (AP) — Building relationships with the LGBTQ community and enrolling local businesses to act as shelters where bias crime victims can seek immediate help are parts of a new program rolled out Wednesday by a New Jersey prosecutor’s office.

Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey introduced the program to assign liaisons to members of the gay, lesbian and other communities to chip away at decades of distrust between them and law enforcement.

She enlisted the help of three Jersey Shore cities to conduct the pilot program called “Safe Place,” modeled after a similar initiative in Seattle. The program works with local businesses to display the rainbow-colored “Safe Place” logo in their windows to let victims of bias or hate crimes know their establishment is somewhere they can enter to seek shelter while authorities are called.

“It’s a goal of our program to build bridges and collaborate with the LGBTQ community, some of whom have a distrust of law enforcement,” Linskey said. “I want members of the LGBTQ community to feel if they need help, they can call on law enforcement and be treated with dignity and respect in times of crisis.”

The prosecutor said her office is also soliciting the help of members of law enforcement who are part of the LGBTQ community, pledging to support them in their jobs.

David D’Amico, chief investigator for the Middlesex County Department of Corrections, who is gay, said it can be challenging to work “in a profession that sometimes does not look at you as an equal.”

State Police Lt. John Hayes, who also is gay, said the program is “a step in the right direction.”

[Tell It Right]

Exactly who are allegedly targeting LGBTQWERTY’s? They talk like there’s a fantasy dragon running around trying to slay them.

[Mr. K]

Yay

[traderrob6]

How many “bias crime victims” are there in a given year, 5,10 maybe even 15 a year???

[Jim W N]

The "pilot" bailed.

[humblegunner]

I don’t know about the LBGT folks, but the Q folks ought to enjoy this!

WWG1WGA!

[antidemoncrat]

” FREEHOLD, N.J. (AP) — Building relationships with the LGBTQ community and enrolling local businesses to act as shelters where bias crime victims can seek immediate help are parts of a new program rolled out Wednesday by a New Jersey prosecutor’s office.”

Bias crime victims? Must be more important than regular crime victims so they need special treatment.

[max americana]

LGBTQ

Let’s Get Biden to Quit

[max americana]

YUp. That’s why they’re called drama queens. Here in Hollywood, there are more LGBTQFAGHOMOBUTTMUNCHER 10 story buildings than actual churches. Why do you need a full building to accommodate these pukes?

[Tired of Taxes]

This makes no sense... unless the real objective is to see which businesses refuse to display that flag.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

Welcome to Places for Perverts!

[FreedomPoster]

Exactly. I’d be curious to know how many “bias crimes” happened last year.

[Steve_Seattle]

Seattle did this a few years ago - delegated a full-time police officer to go around to businesses and ask them to put an "LGBTQ Safe Space" decal in their storefront. I don't think any business owner had the courage to decline the "offer."

Every year there are about 1,200-2,200 alleged anti-LGBTQ hate crimes in the entire country. According to a couple of websites I checked, there are about 19,000 towns and cities in the entire country. So there is about ONE anti-LGBTQ hate crime per year for every nine or ten towns and cities in the country.

The need for such a program as they are proposing therefore seems questionable because it suggests that gays are in a constant state of siege, almost as if they are living in a war zone, needing to duck in for shelter at any time, any day.

[Steve_Seattle]

"Exactly. I’d be curious to know how many “bias crimes” happened last year."

Nationwide, in 2019 the FBI reported 1,393 hate crimes related to LGBTQ status and gender identity. That's abut 28 per state and - low-balling the number of cities and towns in the entire country at 14,000 - about one for every ten towns and cities. Doesn't sound like an epidemic.

On another occasion, I saved the hate-crime stats for 2014, and they were very similar.

[BatGuano]

This news is unsettling. My family was an early Monmouth County family in the early 1700s. They had large farms and there are streets named after my family. The “Battle of Monmouth,” was fought on ancestor’s farmland. It was the last battle that General George Washington commanded.
Not a clear cut victory or loss, it was action during the chase of the British towards Sandy Point, where they could be able to escape, by boat, to Manhattan.

Enough “History,” today we are talking about how to deal with the Queers in our midst! When will we name them what they really are? LGBTQ are abominations. Stop coddling them, they are evil.

[MtnClimber]

Sign your child up for story hour or you are biased!

[airborne]

If there WAS someone then this would be a target rich environment.

[Rurudyne]

LBGT Community Suicide Booth with New Super Killimajig Delux 2000!

*Notice: this facility is only prepaid for those with the LBGT Community Card, apply for yours at City Hall*

[BiglyCommentary]

That reminds me Allair State Park by Freehold.

[Steve_Seattle]

Looking at that pic, I wonder, “How does someone end up like that?” What appeal does it have for them? Who were their parents, and what did they do to them?