Improving Reporting of Hate Crimes
Improving the Identification and Reporting of Hate Crimes
On October 29 and 30, 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Hate Crimes Enforcement and Prevention Initiative hosted a law enforcement round table in Washington, D.C. on Improving the Identification and Reporting of Hate Crimes. This one-and-a-half-day round table explored promising practices and challenges in identifying, reporting, and tracking hate crimes with the overarching goal of generating ideas for actionable steps both locally and for the greater law enforcement community. The round table focused on small group discussions but also included presentations from other law enforcement leaders, community advocates, and federal representatives.
The U.S. Department of Justice Hate Crimes Enforcement and Prevention Initiative coordinates the department’s efforts to eradicate hate crimes and facilitates outreach to law enforcement agencies and the public. Led by the Civil Rights Division, key participants include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, the Office of Justice Programs, the Community Relations Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices.
The department announced several resources at the round table. Some highlights include the following:
- The U.S. Department of Justice launched a new hate crimes website. This site is designed to provide a centralized portal for the department’s hate crimes resources. Please explore the website and spread the word. If you have any feedback, we would love to hear from you.
- You can now request free hate crimes technical assistance (TA) via the COPS Office Collaborative Reform Initiative for Technical Assistance Center. Each solution is customized for your agency, and the TA can cover resource referrals, web-based training, in-person training, virtual mentoring, meeting facilitation, and on-site consultations.
- The Office of Justice Programs announced funding to the University of New Hampshire to conduct a national survey of hate crime incidents and victimization.
- The Civil Rights Division released an update on the department’s hate crimes prosecutions.
- The Community Relations Service (CRS) provided several examples of trainings and resources. To read more, visit the CRS website.
The initiative will release a report summarizing the discussion and action steps, but in the meantime, please visit the department’s hate crimes website for information and resources. If your agency is looking for assistance in combating hate and improving your identification and reporting of hate crimes, please visit the Collaborative Reform Initiative website.
Nazmia Comrie, Senior Program Specialist
COPS Office