The Matthew Shepard Foundation is joining forces with the Center on Halsted for a hate-crimes summit and community reception, taking place Thursday, May 10, at 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (the summit) and 6:30-8 p.m. (the reception) at the Center, 3656 N. Halsted St.
The event is a training for law enforcement, first responders and prosecutors who are interested in the history and the future of hate crimes from national and local perspectives.
The summit will review federal and state hate-crime laws, share significant prosecutions, provide updates on the Department of Justice’s cold cases and discuss hate-crime reporting in Illinois.
Judy and Dennis Shepard, the parents of Matthew Shepard—whose murder was the impetus for the Matthew Shepard Foundation as well as the Hate Crimes Prevention Act—will be giving the keynote.
The reception is open to the public; the summit is only for law-enforcement and prosecutors.
See MatthewShepard.org.