Three stories of law enforcement engaging with Not In Our Town in local communities.

A series presented by Not In Our Town and the U.S. Department of Justice COPS Office

On the Ground with Not In Our Town in Davis, CA

Davis/Phoenix Coalition leader Gloria Partida hosted a local event called "Chat with the Police Chief" to bring community and law enforcement together. This event was Inspired by ideas she learned at the Not In Our Town National Leadership Gathering in 2014, Partida founded the Davis anti hate group after her son Lawrence “Mikey” Partida was brutally beaten because of his sexual orientation. The coalition’s mission is the prevention of hate motivated incidents. Police Chief Landy Black and Asst. Police Chief Darren Pytel joined the group and screened the Not In Our Town film Waking in Oak Creek [1] followed by a dialogue about how to improve the relationship and build trust between law enforcement and community members in Davis, CA.

On the Ground with Not In Our Town in Bloomington, IL

The Not In Our Town (NIOT) Bloomington-Normal group came together to revitalize their efforts to stand up to hate and to work to build a safe and inclusive community for all at an event at the YWCA. In 1996, in the wake of church burnings in the South and the broadcast of Not In Our Town II [2], a group of community members joined together to form a local Not In Our Town group to prevent hate from happening in their town in Bloomington-Normal, IL. Twenty years later, NIOT Bloomington-Normal members were joined by civic, law enforcement, and school leaders to take the pledge to stop bullying and hate and to share stories and ideas about how to move forward. NIOT founders Marc Miller and Mike Matejka brought leaders, including Mayor Tari Renner and Bloomington Police Chief Brendan Heffner, educator Camille Taylor and students together for community dialogue and action.

On the Ground with Not In Our Town in Marshalltown, IA

Police Chief Michael Tupper is part of a Not In Our Town (NIOT) community wide effort to address bullying and hate. In 2012, Times-Republican Publisher Mike Schlesinger launched a Not in Our Town group in Marshalltown, Iowa. Schlesinger brought together a coalition of leaders, including law enforcement, school, faith and business leaders to launch a campaign to prevent bullying and hate from happening in their town. In this short profile, Chief Tupper, talks about the importance of working with community members to create an environment where everyone feels safe and included.

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[3]  [4] [5]

Press and Additional Materials

To read the Not In Our Town: On the Ground With Law Enforcement press release, click here [6].

Deputy District Attorney Oscar Garcia on Hate Crime Training in San Diego County, CA

Deputy District Attorney Oscar Garcia trains law enforcement on how to identify, investigate, and report hate crimes. Garcia stresses the importance of documenting both hate crimes and hate incidents, supporting the victims of hate, and building a strong relationship with the community. This film is a video extra from the Not In Our Town film Lessons from a Hate Crime Detective, [7] which follows Detective Ellen Vest as she supports a hate crime victim and explores the complexities of investigating hate crimes in San Diego County, CA.

A Not In Our Town Interview with San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón

San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón, in an interview with Not In Our Town Executive Producer Patrice O'Neill, discusses the importance of reporting, prosecuting, and preventing hate crimes.