New team will investigate hate crimes against LGBT community

DETROIT – Amber Monroe was a transgender woman who was found shot to death in Detroit last year. To this day, her murder remains unsolved, and that’s not a surprise.

“There is a fear of retaliation. I think that’s part of the reason of why people don’t talk and a fear of what can happen to them,” said transgender activist Julisa Abad. 

Abad also said there is a fear of how you will be treated by law enforcement. Abad gives the Detroit Police Department a lot of credit for trying to reach out to the LGBT community.

Now, the police have a new tool to use.

Dana Nessel knows how to get things done. She’s the lawyer who got Michigan’s Marriage Equality issue to the Supreme Court.

She has started a non-profit aimed at helping the LGBT community. It’s called the Fair Michigan Justice Project.  Non-profit money will be used to hire a special investigator and a special prosecutor that will assist DPD and the  Wayne County Prosecutor’s office in prosecuting crimes against gays, including cold cases.

“You can either sit back and complain about it, or you can do something about it,” Nessel said.

DPD Chief James Craig and Wayne County Prosecutor are set to make the announcement Tuesday morning during a press conference.


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