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The Sheriff’s Department reported a significant drop in the number of hate crime incidents in 2008, which I reported in the blog Monday. Department spokeswoman Jan Caldwell got back to me today about the statistical trend. This is Caldwell’s written explanation:
Awareness, prosecutions and a cohesive law enforcement team in San Diego may partially explain this decrease.
Awareness within the department, I believe, has also helped make a difference. The San Diego Sheriff’s Department has provided and continues to present hate crime training in both academy and in-service settings and we participate in the Hate Crimes Coalition.