Tuesday is the first meeting in a series for a newly-established Anti-Hate Task Force to combat a rise in hate and bias incidents.
It will be the only in-person meeting until the group’s final meeting in November, Council President Evan Glass said during a media briefing Monday.
Just this past weekend, police said a construction sign board was hacked to show racist messaging in Brookeville.
And last month, police stated several Pride and Ukrainian flags were burned overnight in multiple Silver Spring neighborhoods.
The county council voted unanimously nearly two weeks ago to create the task force. Glass called for the task force in February.
The meeting, open to the public, will be held at 7 p.m. at the Wheaton Library and Community Recreation Center at 11701 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring. It will also be livestreamed on YouTube.
Glass anticipates eight meetings total. The next six or so meetings following Tuesday’s will be virtual before the final meeting in-person.
He said the goal of the task force — made up of community and faith leaders — is to develop recommendations to inform policies and legislation for safety and combatting hate crimes in Montgomery County.
The task force will present a final report to the council no later than Nov. 28.
Tuesday’s meeting will include a presentation from Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy, who will speak to what the County State’s Attorney’s Office is doing regarding hate crimes and bias incidents, Glass said.
