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State bill would provide training to better identify hate crimes

Source: Written by Elissa Elhorn for J.

For Jewish Assembly member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda), the Concord case hit home. Ross Farca, the 24-year-old accused of making the threats, is facing felony counts in Contra Costa County on weapons charges and making criminal threats. Bauer Kahan, a Bay Area native and a co-author of AB 2236, began receiving calls at her office after the suspect was released on bail in June 2019.

“When we see incidents like that, permission has been given to speak in hateful ways,” she told J. “The ADL did a presentation to the Jewish caucus where they spoke about the lack of data and reporting. We need that information to know what’s going on. It’s critical for law enforcement to know what they are seeing.”