Support Swift Confirmation of Paul Monteiro as the Director of Community Relations Service
February 15, 2022
The Honorable Dick Durbin
Chair
Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Chuck Grassley
Ranking Member
Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Chairman Durbin, Ranking Member Grassley, and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee:
On behalf of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of more than 230 national organizations committed to promoting and protecting the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States, and the 27 undersigned organizations, we write to express our strong support for the confirmation of Paul Monteiro to serve as director of the Community Relations Service (CRS) at the Department of Justice. Mr. Monteiro’s expertise in combatting hate crimes and working with communities in the face of conflict makes him an excellent choice to fill this important role.
At a time when hate crimes are on the rise, [1] and when police and community relations are a source of concern in some neighborhoods, CRS is more critical than ever. We have seen CRS in action across the country working with local law enforcement and other public safety officials, local and national civil rights organizations, and religious leaders at times when communities are in crisis. When communities are at greatest risk of being torn apart by discrimination, hate incidents, and hate crimes, CRS trains local community leaders to help keep the peace at rallies and marches. In the aftermath of a hate crime, CRS helps law enforcement engage with the communities targeted for hate, helping local law enforcement and government officials develop sustainable mechanisms for engaging with community leaders to help prevent and respond more effectively to hate in the future. CRS’s regional offices also allow its staff to understand the communities they are privileged to serve and to respond quickly to their needs. In short, CRS assists in creating long-term and sustainable social change.
Mr. Monteiro has many important qualities that would make him successful in the role of CRS director. In addition to formerly leading CRS as acting director from 2015-2017, Mr. Monteiro has a long history of public service and of engagement with diverse communities. He was previously an associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, working on the Responsible Fatherhood and Families Initiative and the My Brother’s Keeper program, as well as serving as a liaison to various religious and ethnic communities. He also served as the national director of AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America, helping others to follow his examples of service and leadership.
Mr. Monteiro’s dedication to serving others and working with communities across the country demonstrate his readiness to lead CRS at a time when we need it most. For these reasons, the Senate Judiciary Committee should move quickly to consider Mr. Monteiro’s nomination and report it to the full Senate. If you have any questions, please contact Chloé White, Policy Counsel at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, at [email protected].
Sincerely,
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
ADL (the Anti-Defamation League)
American Jewish Committee
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)
Arab American Institute
Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Center for Disability Rights
Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism
Fair and Just Prosecution
Hindu American Foundation
Human Rights Campaign
Japanese American Citizens League
Matthew Shepard Foundation
Muslim Advocates
Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council
NAACP
National Action Network
National African American Clergy Network
National Black Justice Coalition
National Council of Jewish Women
National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)
Not In Our Town
Rural Coalition
Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF)
SPLC Action Fund
United Church of Christ, Justice and Local Church Ministries
United Sikhs
[1] Sganga, Nicole. “2020 saw highest number of reported hate crimes in two decades, updated FBI data shows.” CBS News. Oct. 25, 2021. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hate-crimes-report-2020-fbi-highest/.