CONCORD — Representatives of the offices of U.S. Attorney for New Hampshire Jane E. Young and Attorney General John Formella are co-hosting a public forum next month to bring together law enforcement personnel, public and elected officials, community leaders

“and other interested parties” for discussions and information-sharing on the topic of hate crimes, as well as how to respond to, and prevent, incidents of bias on the local level.

The forum, which is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 9, will take place at the Manchester Police Athletic League’s Michael Briggs Community Center, 409 Beech St. in Manchester.

There is no charge. To register or for more information, contact Katie Desrochers at 603-230-2518 or kathryn.desrochers@usdoj.gov.

The deadline to register is Monday, Feb. 6.

The forum will begin with an overview of federal, state and local hate crimes laws presented by a panel of law enforcement experts. The panelists will also review the circumstances that inspired the creation, and the ultimate passage, of the federal Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which then-president Barack Obama signed into law in October 2009.

“I’m encouraging all to attend this first in a series of forums,” U. S. Attorney Jane E. Young said. “The Hate Crimes Forum will give community members and law enforcement the opportunity to share ideas, best practices and resources to prevent and respond to bias incidents and hate crimes.

“This novel forum will be an effective preventative tool by ensuring that our communities have an understanding of the applicable laws and a safe space to discuss questions and challenges associated with bias incidents and hate crimes,” Young said.

Formella, the attorney general, called the prevention of hate crimes “one of our most important shared priorities across New Hampshire law enforcement.

“We need a whole-community approach to truly be successful in our fight against bias and hate,” he said. “These forum conversations are aimed at building bridges across diverse sectors of our Granite State communities.”

Formella also said he is “looking forward to engaging and encouraging hate crime reporting,” noting that such conversations “will be critical as we work collectively to keep New Hampshire safe and welcoming for people of all backgrounds.”

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.