AJC Consultant to Train French Police in Combating Hate Crimes
November 21, 2006 - New York - The American Jewish Committee applauds France today for offering to host an international symposium to train French and other European law enforcement officers in combating hate crimes. The program, scheduled for mid-December in Paris, would be the latest in a series of training programs sponsored by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe?s Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). The Law Enforcement Officers Training Program, established two years ago by the 55-member OSCE, operates under the direction of veteran American law enforcement expert and American Jewish Committee consultant Paul Goldenberg. The program brings together police professionals in European countries to learn how to recognize and respond to hate crimes. Goldenberg presented the results of the training program at a meeting this week on "Best Practices in Combating Anti-Semitism," organized by the German Bundestag for the OSCE. "France hosting the OSCE training program is significant in the aftermath of the anti-Semitic torture and murder of Ilan Halimi earlier this year," said Rabbi Andrew Baker, AJC?s director of international Jewish affairs, who also participated in this week?s OSCE experts meeting in Berlin.
Ari M. Gordon Program Associate, Intergroup Affairs The American Jewish Committee 165 E56th St. New York, NY 10022 (212) 751-4000 x266 www.ajc.org www.engagingamerica.org