Scott Maurer profile picture standing in a blue suit with grey hair and a brown wall
Scott Maurer profile picture standing in a blue suit with grey hair and a brown wall

Scott Maurer

profile pic of Lisa Sloan with glasses and a floral dress in a library surrounded by books

Lisa Sloan

Profile picture of john Mcbeth with a tan suit standing in a church

John McBeth

prfile pic of Tahir Kukaj with a black robe

Tahir Kukaj

profie pic of Michelle Molina with a red blouse and black pants suit

Michele Molina

Mission Statement

The Staten Island Hate Crimes Task Force, composed of leaders who represent communities that are historically targeted and victimized by hate-based crime, is committed to securing the right of every person to live their lives free from bias and hate on Staten Island. The Task Force shall seek, develop, and execute programming and other efforts to prevent hateful acts before they occur, particularly through education and immersive experiences. Members of the Task Force shall serve as ambassadors within and beyond their own communities to promote greater understanding and tolerance of those with different backgrounds and to educate Staten Islanders of all ages about the need to live peaceably together in our community.

Who We Are

Led by District Attorney Michael E. McMahon & Scott Maurer, CEO of COJO of Staten Island the Hate Crimes Task Force was convened in direct response to the unspeakable tragedy that occurred at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in October 2018. The Staten Island Hate Crimes Task Force works together with all our communities to develop solutions and inform our neighbors that our differences make us stronger and hate has no place in our borough. The Hate Crimes Task Force creates educational materials to be distributed to Staten Island students informing them of the many different populations that make up our borough and the meaning behind the symbols of hate often directed toward these individuals. Further, the Task Force works to develop legislative recommendations with the aim of strengthening protections for vulnerable groups and developing an early intervention model for those who are expressing hatred but not yet acting on their vitriol.Task Force members also serve as ambassadors within their own communities to promote greater understanding of those with diverse identities and experiences and will work with fellow members to accomplish this outside their own communities to educate Staten Islanders of all ages about tolerance and understanding.
Join Our Efforts to Stop Hate

Our Work

DA mcmahon with school falculty promoting youth education against hate

Youth Education

Educate Staten Island youth on how to identify and combat hate.
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DA mcmahon with school falculty promoting youth education against hate

Fight Hate Crimes

Build bridges to fight hate crimes and discrimination on Staten Island between community leaders and law enforcement officials.

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DA mcmahon with school falculty promoting youth education against hate

Educational Materials

Create educational materials to distribute to Staten Islanders.
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Members of the Staten Island Hate Crimes Task Force:

District Attorney Michael E. McMahon, Co-Chair

Richmond County District Attorney’s Office

Scott Maurer, Co-Chair

Council of Jewish Organizations of Staten Island

Michelle Sabatino

Staten Island Center for Independent Living

Rich Salinardi

Lifestyles for the Disabled

John McBeth

St. Philip’s Baptist Church

Carol Bullock, Dr. Lisa Sloan

Pride Center of Staten Island

Pastor Isaac Sorial

Virgin Mary & St. George Orthodox Church

Emad Bekhit

Coptic Orthodox Church of ArchAngel Michael & St. Mena

Nirmal Singh Kang

Sikh Association of Staten Island

Dr. Nithiananda Chatterjie

Staten Island Gurdwara Sahib

Rev. Karen Pershing

Staten Island Inter-Religious Leadership

Claudette Duff

Integrity Senior Services

Michelle Molina

El Centro Del Inmigrante

Imam Tahir Kukaj

Albanian Islamic Cultural Center

Karim Azzit

Islamic Center of Staten Island

Suhail Muzaffar

Masjid Al Noor Islam Society

Lorna Wilson, Dr. Sonia Byfield-Layne

Jamaica and Caribbean Organization of Staten Island

Tanisha Smith-Franks

United Federation of Teachers

Rev. Dr. Victor Brown

Mt. Sinai United Christian Church

Rev. Dr. Demetrius Carolina,  Rev. Dale S. Smith,  Rev. Antoinnette R. Donegan

Central Family Life Center

Rev. Dr. Terry Troia, Zulma Cruz

Project Hospitality

Jeanne Zieff, Tugba Ay

Community Agency for Senior Citizens

Abou Sy Diakhate

Staten Island Immigrants Council

Charles C. DeStefano

Law Office of Charles C. DeStefano

Mendy Mirocznik

Council of Jewish Organizations of Staten Island

Bernice Fischer, Carol Brown

American Association of Retired People New Dorp Chapter

Louise Tsui, Eugenia Tsui

Chinese American Community Service

Rev. Eric Kim

New York Korean Evangelical Church

Lori Weintrob

Wagner College Holocaust Center

Giomelly Barton, Juan Fernandez, Alexander Korkhov, Alemayehu Ayele

New York City Commission on Human Rights

Deputy Inspector Andrew Arias

NYPD Hate Crimes Unit

Afzal Ali Ansari

Asian American Labor & Community Organization

Radhakrishna Mohan, Raj Saverimuttu

Staten Island Hindu Temple

Lina Chen

Health Essential Association

Yesenia Mata

La Colmena

Orit Lender, Allison Cohen

Jewish Community Center of Staten Island
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So, What is a Hate Crime?

Any crime becomes a hate crime when it is motivated by bias against an individual’s perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. Read More

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Ok, So How Do You Report a Hate Crime?

A person reports a hate crime in the same manner as they would report any other crime. If it is a crime in progress, call 911. If it is a crime that does not endanger anyone, or a crime that occurred in the past, call your local precinct. The responding police officers will provide whatever immediate assistance is needed, and begin the reporting process. If the situation is deemed to be a possible bias-motivated incident, the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force will be notified. Read More

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Why Report a Hate Crime?

The Hate Crimes Reporting Gap is the significant disparity between hate crimes that actually occur and those reported to law enforcement. It is critical to report hate crimes not only to show support and get help for victims, but also to send a clear message that the community will not tolerate these kinds of crimes. Reporting hate crimes allows communities and law enforcement to fully understand the scope of the problem in a community and put resources toward preventing and addressing attacks based on bias and hate.