WASHINGTON – Amid reports of a rising number of hate crimes against Asian Americans, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Tuesday announced he is launching a 30-day “expedited review” into how the Justice Department can bolster its efforts to prosecute hate crimes and improve data collection of such incidents.
In his first memo to employees since taking over the helm of the department earlier this month, Garland said he wants to find ways to improve reporting of hate crimes, “prioritize criminal investigations and prosecutions,” and work with civil authorities to address cases of bias which may not rise to the statutory definition of a hate crime.
The re…
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