Former Stoneleigh Fellow Dr. Nikki Smith-Kea has been named a Senior Project Manager on Anne Arundel County’s Hate Crime Prevention Program.
Annapolis, MD (August 26, 2024) – County Executive Steuart Pittman announced the hiring of Nicola “Dr. Nikki” Smith-Kea, PhD as the new Senior Project Manager to manage a $1.2 million grant award through the US Department of Justice to implement the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Program in the county. Anne Arundel County’s Hate Crime Prevention Program will develop a comprehensive approach to hate crime prevention, investigation, and prosecution and provide services to victims of hate bias incidents.
“This project is a continuation of work that we began at our Hate Bias Forum in early 2020 after learning that our county led the state in reported hate bias incidents,” said County Executive Pittman. “We are thrilled to have Dr. Nikki on board to help us move this work to the next level.”
Anne Arundel County received three times the original grant request as a result of the strength of the original application, becoming the only county entity in Maryland to be awarded the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Program Grant during this cycle. The program will also include conducting leadership-level training on hate crime investigation strategies, enhanced police department staffing for community outreach, and the procurement of new, state-of-the-art surveillance equipment to capture incidents occurring at night.
