The University of Colorado is set to enhance its efforts against hate crimes thanks to a substantial grant from the Department of Justice. Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch has announced a grant of just under $2 million aimed at bolstering the university's capacity to tackle hate-based incidents in its community. The funding, totaling $1,999,939, is provided through the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Program Grant and is part of a larger DOJ initiative to improve community safety and support victims of crime.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the grant will support the University of Colorado Boulder's Police Department (CUPD), and the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV). The aim is to develop, a comprehensive approach to hate crimes prevention, investigation, and intervention not just at the Boulder campus but at all CU locations. The DOJ-funded efforts will educate and train approximately 60,000 students, 23,000 faculty and staff, as well as 60 law enforcement officers, equipping them to better prevent and address hate crimes within higher education settings.
"The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado has a long-standing commitment both to investigating and prosecuting hate crimes and to engaging with the community on this topic," Kirsch said, as per the U.S. Department of Justice. "Public education on the tools available to prevent and address hate crimes is fundamental to these efforts, and we are proud to work with University of Colorado." This partnership reflects a concerted response to the challenges posed by hate crimes, aiming to establish a proactive stance in the face of such social maladies.
Speaking on behalf of the university, Doreen Jokerst, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Public Safety and Chief of Police of the CU Boulder Police Department said, as noted by the U.S. Department of Justice, "CUPD will continue to work collaboratively with violence prevention researchers, and other experts to create an effective, broad-reaching campaign to combat targeted violence." This DOJ grant is part of the larger efforts by the Office of Justice Program (OJP), which is the principal grantmaking arm of the DOJ, committed to advancing science and promoting equitable justice across the United States.