WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — In response to racist fliers, from a well-known white supremacist organization, being distributed on several streets in West Hartford last week, local and federal officials addressed the situation with word of a new measure recently passed by Congress to help stem the tide.
The new bipartisan measure, introduced and co-sponsored by Sen. Richard Blumenthal is called the No Hate Act, for which funding is currently available through the Department of Justice Community Relations Service.
"It can go toward collecting information, providing grants to education programs, and also you want to spread the word that hate crimes are now punishable by non-incarceration remedies," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut).
These fliers, distributed by the New England Nationalist Social Club in four West Hartford neighborhoods read, in part, "We stand for the security and prosperity of White New Englanders."
The messaging was not considered a hate crime, but still upset residents of Whitman Avenue, Walton Drive, Braeburn Road and Fernridge Park.
"They dropped them in the street and the thing is they didn't have the courage to get out of their cars and distribute them," said Kathryn Whittel, a lifelong West Hartford resident.
A recent Anti-Defamation League report says there was a 20-fold increase, over the last four years, in white supremacist propaganda – stickers, flyers and banners - being distributed here in Connecticut.
"This is the epitome of community policing. Is the law enforcement, public safety in the community working together but you have to notify us," said West Hartford Police Chief Vernon Riddick.
Recently, the FBI reported that 2021 featured the highest level of hate crime reporting in 12 years across the country.
"I don't think it has any place here and I think people if they spoke out and confronted these people, I think that would go a long way," said Randy Snow of West Hartford.
And although this was not considered a hate crime, Riddick said it has to be taken seriously.
"If you have these inflammatory hateful thoughts, that could lead to violence because you have emotion, and if it's driven by emotion and hate, that's a bad recipe right there," said Riddick.
The West Hartford police are partnering with state and federal partners in monitoring things related to this and other hate-related incidents.
"We are scanning and we are doing social media rakes," Riddick said. "Again with our state and federal partners to see whatever movement occurs subsequent to this."
The New England chapter of the Nationalist Social Club, which was responsible for the flyer drop in West Hartford, was also behind the distribution of fliers in East Hartford and Southington recently.
Tony Terzi is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at tterzi@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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