AFH PHX is working with BASIS Scottsdale School Key Club on Cultural Orientation. THX
Personal Safety and Threats
Have you felt that your safety or well-being has been threatened since arriving in the US as an Afghan immigrant? Threats against you may be made in person, over the phone, in a written message or visual display, or by electronic message. Local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies have a responsibility to protect everyone equally from threats.
- Law enforcement agencies cover legally defined jurisdictions. These jurisdictions often overlap. In the US, government laws define the various agencies and their responsibilities. You should learn what law enforcement agencies operate in your community to protect you and your family. You should know how to contact local law enforcement for your protection. Many communities have a 911 number to call for emergencies or to get help in threatening situations.
- Violence is a physical act that can result in personal injury. Abuse can be physical or mental. Both can be damaging. Violence and abuse can occur anywhere and to anyone. Sometimes violence occurs within a family or a group between people who know one another. It can also occur randomly between strangers. You should know what to do and who to call if you or someone in your family or group experiences the threat of violence. Ask your resettlement case worker or a trusted person to help you understand what your rights are and what help is available if you or someone you know is threatened with or experiences violence or abuse.
- Some threats or violence could constitute a hate crime. A hate crime is a traditional offense like murder, arson, assault, or vandalism with an added element of bias. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI or Bureau) has defined a hate crime as a "criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender's bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity."
- The FBI is the lead investigative agency for federal hate crime statutes and violations. The Bureau works closely with its local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement partners in many of these cases, even when federal charges are not pursued. The FBI also works to detect and prevent incidents through law enforcement training, outreach, and partnerships with community groups.