The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today commended the New York City Police Department for its swift arrest in a hate crime which occurred on a New York City subway in Brooklyn on April 15. Stephan Stowe, 17, was arraigned on eight charges, including grand larceny, which was charged as a hate crime, resisting arrest and harassment.
    

    According to reports, Stowe, who was with a group of friends, used anti-Semitic epithets at the Jewish victim.  Stowe’s arrest was captured on a video that has now become widely viewed on the internet, depicting NYPD officers struggling to make the arrest.
    

     Etzion Neuer, ADL Acting New York Regional Director, issued the following statement:

     We commend the New York City Police Department for their speedy response and swift arrest in this despicable hate crime.  Law enforcement reacted with lightning speed to the report of the crime, and the video reminds us the incredible risk that law enforcement face on a daily basis as they keep our communities safer by responding to crimes in New York.

     Hate crimes are significant because of the deep emotional and psychological impact that they have on an entire community.  We hope that this arrest sends a message to would-be perpetrators that crimes are treated seriously and that this will encourage victims and witnesses to report hate crimes to authorities.

     The New York Police Department treats such crimes very seriously and is to be commended for its high level of responsiveness.  We continue to maintain close contact with law enforcement and remain confident that the perpetrator will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world’s leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.