U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch spent Wednesday in Birmingham to meet with local law enforcement officers and city leaders about improving cooperation between police and their communities. She also addressed issues raised by last week’s shooting at a historically black church in Charleston, South Carolina.
Hate Crimes and the Confederate Flag
Lynch says crimes like that shooting, which killed 9 people, are tantamount to domestic terrorism even if they aren’t called that. The Justice Department has said it’s investigating the Charleston shooting as a hate crime. While Lynch says she can’t comment on the specific case, she says hate crime statutes were created to go after domestic terrorism perpetrated by groups such as the Ku Klux Klan.
“They are classified as hate crimes because that is the impetus behind them,” said Lynch. “But make no mistake about it, hate crimes are the original domestic terrorism.”
Images of the Charleston shooting suspect flaunting the Confederate battle flag have also spurred debate over its power as symbol of white supremacy as well as culture. Lynch says if states want to commemorate that part of their history, a museum is an appropriate place to do it.
Mending Relationships Between Police and Community
Loretta Lynch’s visit comes as some police departments face criticism, particularly for shootings of unarmed black men. She says she believes police and the communities they serve can mend that fractured relationship with better communication.
“So when incidents do happen there can be a context to have a discussion,” said Lynch. “It doesn’t mean there won’t be disagreement or difficult times or challenges. Those exist and we will deal with them. But we can at least have a discussion about it with some basis of understanding.”
She praised Birmingham police for their efforts to combat gun crime and says she hopes it can be a model for other cities.