Laken Riley’s murder signals urgent call for the safety of women in Georgia 

Laken Riley, a bright and much-loved young woman, was brutally murdered last week. The devastation and heartbreak her family and loved ones are feeling is unimaginable, and we stand with them in seeking justice and the full weight of the law for those determined guilty of this heinous crime.

Laken’s murder has had an expansive and deep impact on many of us, including members of one of the groups most vulnerable to crimes — women. In particular, young women, low-income women and minority women. 

Threats to the safety of women continue to profoundly affect economic security, health, civic engagement and overall well-being in our communities. Women are at the core of all our families and communities; therefore, protecting women is a job we are all responsible for.

Now is the time to work together on driving forward policies, efforts and initiatives that protect us. That can include laws related to stalking offenses, limitations on gun access for perpetrators of intimate partner violence, civil protection orders and statutes to protect the employment rights of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking victims, among others.

The best prevention of violence is a direct investment in communities. Efforts need to be championed to build trust with local governments and those sworn to protect us. When all members of a community feel safe, we are all safer; we engage in conversation, and we work together to identify potential threats and create solutions to mitigate circumstances that can lead to crime. We establish connections and rapport with law enforcement and work together as a team to prevent disorder and violence. When we build positive community relations with each other, police officers are also more likely to be safe and successful at their jobs.

As a Latina, in the past few days, I was harassed by a man on the street asking me where I was from. A dear friend of mine (American-born, by the way) was told, “Go back to your country,” by a yelling stranger. Countless college students are afraid to go to class because they fear violence. Colleagues working in the nonprofit space offering after-school and academic support, crisis assistance, etc., have had to remove contact information from their websites after being victims of hateful speech, threats and even fake media calls trying to get information on their “perceived” collaboration with criminals. 

We are experiencing very real and justified fear based on messages, narratives and calls to action that are blaming entire groups of people for this terrible murder. Scapegoating makes some people feel better about themselves when solutions to a problem are complex. That approach is lazy and irresponsible, and we should fundamentally and absolutely reject that message. It dehumanizes us, it separates us and it makes us weaker. 

I share a few facts to help dispel some myths, misinformation, and stereotypes you may have read or heard in the last few days:

• University of Georgia Police Chief Jeffrey Clark referred to Laken’s murder as a “crime of opportunity.” Such crimes do not have an ethnic or racial component. Calling it something else is disrespectful and dismissive of the excellent work and swift response of the University of Georgia Police Department, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigations.
• Due process is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution in the 5th and 14th Amendments. The Supreme Court has held that this protection extends to all natural persons (i.e., human beings). We have heard some legislative proposals and calls to action articulated on social media and other media outlets that would be unconstitutional. They are simply a distraction in a very important and polarized election year. 
• Georgia has some of the strictest anti-immigrant laws in the country and has outlawed sanctuary cities in the state since 2009. The federal government, regardless of party, has spent the past 20 years using local government (especially law enforcement) as a force multiplier to find, arrest, and deport immigrants more efficiently. Any media or individual claiming there are sanctuary cities in Georgia is being disingenuous or does not understand the term, for which there is no legal or universal definition. Check the sources; you will find they are not based on fact but on opinion.
• Gender violence is real. Over 80% of women in the U.S. who are runners have experienced some type of harassment or assault. Of all femicide cases in the high-income world, 70% are committed in the U.S.

These are difficult times for so many. Let’s use our leadership, connections, influence, and words to ensure all our neighbors feel loved and safe. After all, isn’t that what we all want from life?