U.S. Attorney: Law Enforcement, to Combat Antisemitism

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) -The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, the FBI, the Columbus Police Department(CPD) and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) joined with Temple Israel in Columbus to discuss the rise of antisemitism in the nation.

The event was hosted by the Temple of Israel on April 30th, and U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary kicked off the 3 hour program entitled, “Combating Antisemitism: A Legal Perspective.”

Leary was joined by:

Civil Rights Coordinators for the Middle District of Georgia

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lance Simon and Hannah Couch.

Panel discussions were led by:

The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division Deputy Chief: Barbara Bosserman

FBI-Columbus Supervisory Special Resident Agent: Richard Bilson

Columbus Police Department Lt.: Jeff Bridges

ADL Southern Division Sr. Associate Director for Jewish Community Outreach: Eric Ross

ADL Center on Extremism Associate Investigative Researcher: Katie McCarthy.

“It makes sense that this timely gathering of federal prosecutors, law enforcement, and stakeholders to discuss the rise of antisemitism, and how best to combat it as a community should occur at Temple Israel, one of the first Jewish congregations in Georgia,” says U.S. Attorney Peter Leary. "

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and others, discussed the rise of antisemitism, and the various ways citizen could safely and effectively respond to and report anti-Semitic activity.

The program was developed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in part, due to anti-Semitic literature being distributed in Columbus neighborhoods in the recent past.

More than 50 people were present for the panel discussions and dialogue. Speakers addressed many topics including the increase in anti-Semitic incidents, current examples of anti-Semitic extremism in the District, and law enforcement’s response to such acts.

Citizens are urged to report anti-Semitic incidents to the local authorities first, then contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia at 478-752-3511.

For more information, please contact Pam Lightsey, Law Enforcement Coordinator with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, at pam.lightsey@usdoj.gov.