SALDEF Trains TSA and Participates in Hate Crimes Prevention Forum

SALDEF Northeast Regional Director, Jaswant Chani conducted a Sikh awareness training for TSA

Chelsea, MA, USA—On June 25th SALDEF Northeast Regional Director, Jaswant Chani conducted a Sikh awareness training for over two-dozen members of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) office in Chelsea, MA.  The training provided information on the Sikh faith and theology, as well as the challenges facing Sikh Americans.

The presentation included the viewing of SALDEF’s training video On Common Ground.  This is a continuation of the partnership of several years that SALDEF has had with TSA to train their officers across the Northeast under our Law Enforcement Partnership Program(LEPP).

SALDEF’s training video On Common Ground is available from website of US Department of Justice.

SALDEF Participates in Hate Crimes Prevention Forum in Daytona Beach, FL

DAYTONA BEACH, FL, USA—Members of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, as well as civil rights and other community organizations gathered  at the Daytona State College to discuss hate crime prevention. SALDEF Southeast Regional Director, Navtej Singh, participated in this forum and specifically spoke to the challenges and disproportionate number of Sikhs that face issues around discrimination and escalated violence.  The catalyst to this event was the recent suspected hate crime on a Port Orange, FL., Sikh man who was shot in February while driving with his teenage son.

Mr. Singh stressed the importance of introducing hate crime prevention education in schools. “Hate is learned, be it from the home, school or peer groups.  Hate is taught by others.  We are not born with hate.  We can reach and teach understanding and tolerance in our schools.  That seems the logical starting point in addressing and eradicating potential hate in its infancy,” he said.

Over 100 attendees and panelists included representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI, the Florida Attorney General’s Office of Civil Rights, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, local law-enforcement agencies, educational institutions, civil-rights, other community organizations and many concerned citizens.

To donate to the Singh Family Fund, visit: http://www.dvnetwork.org/projects/kanwaljit-singh-family-fund

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