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Anger, stereotypes, a hot-button war can lead to acts of hatred, CSUSB professor says
New York Post
May 3, 2022

Brian Levin, director of CSUSB’s Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, was interviewed for an article about an enraged Ukrainian man who stabbed a compatriot for speaking Russian at a Brooklyn bar in a booze-fueled spat. New York police are investigating the incident as a hate crime, the newspaper reported.

Hate crimes against Russians, or those who are perceived to have an allegiance to the country, have spiked globally since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine, data shows. About 30% of the Ukrainian population speak Russian as their first language.

While the scourge is predominantly impacting Europe, a smattering of cases has been reported across North America, according to Levin. “The research shows … when there’s a conflict and violence overseas, we end up seeing reverberations here in the United States” in the form of hate crimes, said Levin, a former NYPD officer. 

“We’re not talking a great wave yet and we’re really waiting for more data to come in … it’s a trickle but the longer these conflicts go on, the greater the chances that we’ll see an increase. The story is that we’re seeing it at all when in the past they were virtually non-existent.”

Levin said a combination of anger, stereotypes, a “hot-button war” and the presence of someone who appears associated with a conflict is the “perfect storm” that leads to acts of hatred.

“A dose of machismo along with the alcohol never ceases to help the evil move forward,” he added.

Read the complete article at “Ukrainian man stabbed for ‘being Russian’ after bizarre translation test at Brooklyn bar.”

CSUSB professor among experts discussing influence of controversial Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association
Yahoo!News/Florida Today
May 2, 2022

Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, and a former New York City Police Department officer who has written police training curriculums, was among the experts interviewed for an article that examined the influence of Richard Mack, founder of the controversial Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, which has been associated with right-wing militias and extremist groups.

Levin said, “Mack’s history with respect to the Oath Keepers or the (Bundy) conflict (in Nevada) make it an issue of significant public concern for the citizens of your county that a sheriff would be aligned with this subculture.”

Levin, a criminologist and civil rights attorney, also noted that Florida leading the nation in Capitol riot arrests — at least 62 alleged participants from the Sunshine State have been charged so far — is an indication that the influence of the CSPOA among law enforcement officials and the message that that sends to extremists is real.

“The bottom line is no serious professional sheriff would have any kind of association with Richard Mack and his discredited, historical and legal theories," Levin said, calling his ideology an "insurrectionist doctrine."

Read the complete article at “‘Constitutional Sheriff’ Wayne Ivey says he’s a patriot. Others see something more menacing.”

These news clips and others may be viewed at “In the Headlines.”