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Incidents of hate and bias crimes have a profound effect on the victims and their communities, and can only abate when the general public takes a stand against acts of prejudice and persecution, according to a member of the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office Professional Responsibility & Bias Crime Bureau.

"If you're aware of a bias incident or hate crime, don't ignore it and always report it," said Detective David D'Amico to a 150-member audience during a Nov. 9 program at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft. "Law enforcement officers are then obligated to conduct a thorough investigation. We work for you."

D'Amico's remarks were part of "Bias and Hate Crimes in Our Backyard," a program co-sponsored by the Holocaust, Genocide, & Human Rights Education Center at Brookdale and the Red Bank chapter of Hadassah. The event took place on the 71st anniversary of Kristallnacht.

"Bias incidents and hate crimes will escalate if they are not reported and then they will get worse," D'Amico, a 20-year veteran of law enforcement, told The Jewish State before the program commenced. "People must be responsible and let the authorities know about these things. If they go unreported, the perpetrators assume power because they think they can get away with their actions. We won't allow this in Monmouth County."

The program was held in the wake of a series of incidents that took place in Monmouth County in recent months. In August, bomb threats necessitated the evacuation of three synagogues in Deal, Long Branch, and Elberon, and in October, many Monmouth County residents were among the 1,000-plus who turned out to dispel the hate voiced by an extremist anti-Semitic and anti-gay group that was picketing near the Rutgers Hillel in New Brunswick.

And during 2009, there also were reported incidents of vandalism at other Monmouth County synagogues and Jewish cemeteries. However, many individuals are often reluctant to report hate crimes and bias incidents because of fear of violent reaction and repercussions to themselves, their families, and friends, said D'Amico, who received the 2008 Hela Young Memorial Award from the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education for his work in reducing prejudice and combating bias crimes.

"In the case of what happened at Fort Hood in Texas, where a Muslim Army psychiatrist is accused of gunning down more than 29 people on the post and killing 13 others, there is a fear of a backlash against law-abiding and patriotic Muslims in the U.S. military," he told the audience, a racial, ethnic, and religiously diverse cross-section of adults and students.

"We hope that won't happen here, but the commission of a heinous crime can spur repercussions," he added. "All of us have to make an effort not to paint everyone with the same brush."

The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office provides specialized training to police officers to assist them in recognizing and coping with bias incidents and hate crimes, and the Brookdale center conducts an education program for juvenile offenders involved in such incidents, D'Amico said.

"Hate is a learned value and it's our responsibility to unlearn it," said D'Amico, who takes his message to schools, colleges, community groups, and religious organizations throughout the county. "The training programs and the kind of outreach we're doing right now is a powerful way to take down hateful actions and attitudes. It helps us not to pre-judge and form opinions before knowing everything about someone's background. And what makes hate happen? Bias, prejudice, and lack of knowledge."

Sadly, it's often parents, role models, and peers who send prejudicial messages, he said. "I've seen this happen a lot," said D'Amico. "They don't always say nice things about people of different colors, religions, or ethnic backgrounds and those attitudes are picked up by others, especially young people."

Technology has enabled hate groups to communicate their messages through the Internet; in addition, contemporary musical lyrics often condone violence and hatred, he said, adding that authority figures and law enforcement officers often are the prime targets.

"But just one person -- one hero -- who stands up on behalf of someone who is targeted by persecution and hate can make this unacceptable behavior, and sometimes, a life is saved in the process," D'Amico said. "It takes commitment and courage from law enforcement officers, witnesses, and victims to eradicate hatred and bias, and that can be very hard. But the power and control is in your hands."