Evergreen Reporter

The United States Department of Justice has awarded the University of Colorado a grant of nearly $2 million to combat hate crimes. The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Program Grant will support the University of Colorado Boulder's Police Department (CUPD) and the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV). The initiative aims to create a comprehensive approach to preventing, intervening, and investigating hate crimes across all CU locations, including Boulder, Colorado Springs, and Denver.

The funds will be used to educate students, faculty, staff, and law enforcement officers within the CU System on strategies for handling hate-based incidents. The program is expected to impact approximately 60,000 students, 23,000 faculty and staff members, and 60 law enforcement officers. It also seeks to serve as a model for other educational institutions nationwide.

Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch stated: “The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado has a long-standing commitment both to investigating and prosecuting hate crimes and to engaging with the community on this topic. Public education on the tools available to prevent and address hate crimes is fundamental to these efforts, and we are proud to work with University of Colorado.”

Doreen Jokerst, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Public Safety and Chief of Police at CU Boulder Police Department added: “The University of Colorado and the CU Boulder Police Department is honored to receive the Matthew Shepard and Edward Byrne Hate Crimes Grant, which will help us continue the important work of building a comprehensive approach to preventing hate crimes across the CU System. CUPD will continue to work collaboratively with violence prevention researchers and other experts to create an effective broad-reaching campaign to combat targeted violence.”

This grant is part of broader efforts by the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) aimed at improving community safety, serving crime victims, supporting youth initiatives, advancing scientific research in justice fields, and promoting equal justice. The OJP represents one of DOJ's primary grant-making bodies focused on enhancing criminal justice systems through various programs.