Press Release  Faith-Based Safety & Security Seminar Welcomes Hundreds of Leaders from Across the Commonwealth

Foxborough — Today, the Massachusetts State Police and the Commonwealth Fusion Center convened nearly 400 leaders for the 7th Annual Faith-Based Organizations Safety & Security Seminar. Hosted by the Kraft Family at Gillette Stadium’s Sports Illustrated Pavilion, the program delivered national best practices to empower leaders to secure their physical spaces and maintain safe environments for residents who come to worship and access supportive social services.

During the program, Members of the State Police Hate Crimes Awareness Response Team (HART), launched by the Healey-Driscoll Administration in November 2023, and the Department of Criminal Justice Information Systems (DCJIS) also announced a new web-based portal for Massachusetts law enforcement to report hate crimes and hate based incidents. Officials created the portal with the support of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) to achieve the shared goal of making the reporting process easier, standardizing data collection, and empowering intelligence analysts to rapidly identify statewide trends.

“Our Administration remains committed to supporting the safety of non-profit organizations and those they serve,” said Governor Maura Healey. “I'm glad that the Massachusetts State Police, the Kraft Family, and their partners organized this Seminar to provide an important forum to build relationships and share resources.”

“Faith-based organizations play an enormous role in supporting those in need – both from their congregations and the community at large,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “As their partners in state government, we need to do everything we can to ensure they have the safety and security resources to do their work free from all forms of fear and hate.”

As part of the seminar, experts presented a variety of best practices on topics including physical security, targeted violence and threat management, the shared mission of hate awareness, and resources around civilian response to hostile events. The seminar reflects the determination of local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to address the complex challenges of hate and  securing soft targets and crowded spaces.

“Faith-based organizations and nonprofits are on the front lines of caring for people in moments of need, and they deserve to do that work free from fear and intimidation,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Gina Kwon. “Today’s seminar, the launch of the HART portal, and our continued investment in nonprofit security reflect the same commitment: hate has no home in Massachusetts. We will continue to stand with faith leaders, local law enforcement, and community partners to protect communities and safeguard every person’s right to worship and gather freely.”

“The Massachusetts State Police organize this annual Safety & Security Seminar as an extension of our longstanding commitment to deepen community engagement, provide practical guidance, and support faith-based leaders navigating the complex challenges of hate crimes,” said Colonel Geoffrey Noble. “We deeply appreciate the Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Kraft Family’s support for this work, and the many experts who shared their lived experience as part of the program. In this moment when so many live in fear, I hope today’s event illustrates the power of working together to build safer communities.”

Massachusetts local law enforcement agencies designate at least one officer responsible for equality and civil rights concerns. These Civil Rights Officers receive enhanced training in hate crimes and hate-based incidents with the goal of providing trauma-informed response to victims and affected communities as well as fulfilling the agency’s legal reporting requirements under the Hate Crimes Reporting Act (M.G.L. c. 22C, §§ 32–35) and the regulations promulgated under that statute.

The new HART Portal provides a single-sign-on portal within the Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) to submit hate incidents and hate crimes. The interface provides fields to input bias motivation factors, dates of significance (e.g., historical event, religious holiday, etc.), share available surveillance video, and query incidents to study trends. The platform will support the State Police HART Team’s mission to strengthen statewide response to hate crimes and hate-based incidents by providing real-time notification of any incident reported in the Commonwealth.

“We are proud to partner with the State Police on a system that streamlines the reporting of hate incidents and hate crimes throughout Massachusetts,” said DCJIS Commissioner Jamison Gagnon. “By improving the reporting process and enhancing the quality of the data we gather, we are empowering law enforcement and community partners to respond more effectively and uphold the civil rights of every person in the Commonwealth.”

“This new platform supports the shared resolve of the Massachusetts State Police and our partners to thoroughly investigate hate crimes and respond with compassion for victims and affected communities,” said Colonel Noble. “I commend those working within the Division of Homeland Security and Preparedness and DCJIS for designing a solution that makes reporting intuitive and advances our Excellence Initiative’s goals of strengthening case management and rapid response capabilities around emerging threats.”

“Civil rights officers and local police agencies are on the front lines of protecting houses of worship and community institutions.” said MPTC Executive Director Colonel Rick Rathbun (Ret.) “Specialized training in targeted violence, hate crime response, and cultural understanding is critical to that work. Ensuring that officers receive this level of training strengthens community relationships, enhances public safety, and ensures they respond with trauma-informed insight and compassion.”

In addition to the annual seminar, the Healey-Driscoll Administration has awarded $15.3 million in state and federal grant funds to support nonprofit security this fiscal year. The Office of Grants and Research (OGR) within EOPSS manages the state and federal grant programs supporting organizations at risk of a hate crime or terror attack.

In recent years, communities nation-wide experienced a rise in reported bias-motivated crimes. According to 2024 crime data, Massachusetts officials identified a troubling 20.5% increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes. For the first time since tracking began in 1991, anti-Jewish bias incidents surpassed anti-Black incidents as the most reported hate crime in Massachusetts.

“Ensuring the safety of faith-based organizations is critical to the security of our state and communities. We consistently hear from our grant recipients how these funds have made their staff, members and visitors feel safer and more at ease,” said OGR Executive Director Kevin Stanton. “These grants are one tool we have available to protect faith-based organizations and other nonprofits from threats and violence.”

If you have any information about a hate crime or hate incident, please report it to your local police department. If your community needs assistance funding security infrastructure projects or security personnel costs, consider applying for the Federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program, the Commonwealth Nonprofit Security Grant Program, or the Commonwealth Nonprofit Security Personnel Grant Program through OGR. 

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