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Upper West Side Politicians to Host Forum on Hate Crimes Thursday

By Nicole Levy | March 22, 2017 6:13pm
 The swastikas discovered on the doors of the Fourth Universalist Society in late February are one of many hate crimes reported in New York City over the past few months.
The swastikas discovered on the doors of the Fourth Universalist Society in late February are one of many hate crimes reported in New York City over the past few months.
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Fourth Universalist Society in the City of New York

UPPER WEST SIDE — Local elected officials are hosting a forum Thursday evening to discuss the recent spike in hate crimes across the five boroughs.

The meeting — hosted by Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance Jr. and City Council members Helen Rosenthal, Mark Levine and Bill Perkins — will touch on such subjects such as the legal definition of a hate crime, the means by which victims and witnesses can report them, and the resources and services available to hate crime targets. 

The agenda for the two-hour event, which begins at 6:30 p.m., includes a Q&A period for community members to express their concerns. 

The city has seen a 94 percent rise in the number of anti-Semitic hate crimes reported so far this year, compared to the same period a year ago, the NYPD said.

The recent surge in bias attacks is directly tied to the "hateful rhetoric" surrounding the presidential election, Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters Tuesday

Late last month on the Upper West Side, vandals carved two swastikas into the wooden doors of a Unitarian Universalist church known for its commitment to social justice issues.

The forum is being held at Edward A. Reynolds West Side High School, at 140 W. 102nd St.