Hate crimes investigator educating local police.

Byline: Jack Moran The Register-Guard

An expert on hate crimes is in Eugene this week to train police how to spot and investigate potential domestic terrorist and hate groups.

The expert, Joseph Roy, is chief investigator of the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project.

Eugene police Lt. Doug Mozan said the training should advance law enforcement's efforts to combat hate crimes in Oregon.

"We are extremely pleased with the opportunity to have someone with his level of expertise in our area," Mozan said.

Police officials from Springfield and several other agencies throughout Western Oregon are attending the training, which was arranged by the Eugene Police Department's diversity committee.

In addition to sharing with police techniques that can be used to investigate hate groups, Roy will give a presentation titled: "Hate in America Today - a National Overview of Far-Right Domestic Terrorism."

The Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Ala., is known for its tolerance education programs, its legal victories against white supremacists and its tracking of hate groups.

Earlier this year, the organization designated Eugene discussion group Pacifica Forum as a hate group with white nationalist views.

Roy is a former Montgomery police officer who now gathers intelligence on extremist activities throughout the country for the law center.

He also serves as an instructor for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center's hate/bias crimes training course.