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Chapter 22 Supplement Special Topics

• The Federal Bureau of Investigation reports that 7,755 hate crime incidents were reported to law enforcement agencies nationwide in 1998. The 7,755 incidents involved 9,235 separate offenses, 9,722 victims, and 7,489 known offenders (FBI 17 October 1999, 58).

• In 1998, racial bias represented the largest percentage of bias-motivated offenses. Of the 9,235 reported offenses, 5,360 were motivated by racial bias (Ibid.).

• Crimes against persons accounted for over 68% of hate crime offenses reported. Crimes against property accounted for over 31%, and fewer than 1% were crimes against society (Ibid., 60).

• Of the hate crimes against persons, intimidation accounted for 55%, while simple assault and aggravated assault represented 27% and 17%, respectively (Ibid.).

• Of the 7,755 hate crime incidents reported, 4,321 were motivated by racial bias; 1,390 by religious bias; 1,260 by sexual orientation bias; 754 by ethnicity/national origin bias; 25 by disability bias; and 5 by multiple biases (Ibid., 58).

• In 1998, 65% of the 9,722 victims were targets of crimes against persons, as opposed to property or society. Nearly six of every ten victims were attacked because of their race, with bias against blacks counting for 38% of the total (Ibid., 60).

• Of those offenses motivated by bias by ethnicity/national origin, over half of the incidents were reported as anti-Hispanic (Ibid., 58).

• Of those offense motivated by bias against religious orientation, over three-fourths were based upon anti-Jewish bias (Ibid.).

• Fifteen percent of all victims of hate/bias crimes were victims of crimes motivated by bias against sexual orientation; 67% of these were victims of specifically anti-male homosexual bias, and 18% specifically anti-female homosexual bias (Ibid.).

• In terms of incidents in 1998, 2,901 were anti-black, 792 were anti-white, 1,081 were anti-Jewish, 293 were anti-Asian/Pacific Islander, 52 were anti-American Indian/Alaskan native, 850 were anti-gay men, and 223 were anti-gay women. (There were no Hispanic numbers in this year's report.) (Ibid.).

• Of the known offenders, 66% were white and 17% black (Ibid.).

• Law enforcement agencies reported 7,489 known offenders associated with the 7,755 incidents recorded in 1998. Of the known offenders, 6,474 were connected with crimes against persons, and 1,376 were associated with crimes against property (Ibid., 60).
• Thirty-five percent of the 7,489 known offenders were involved with the offense of intimidation (Ibid.).

• A February 1999 Gallup poll reported that one in four nonwhites are concerned about being the victim of a hate crime, while one in eight of all Americans polled believe they could be the victim of a hate crime. Seventy percent of those polled favor state hate crimes legislation that provides for harsher penalties for crimes motivated by hatred of certain groups than for the same crime not motivated by hatred. Seventy-five percent believe that hate crime laws should be expanded to include racial minorities, religious and ethnic minorities, women, and homosexuals (Gallup Poll 1999).

(Portions of the following section are summarized from Addressing Hate Crimes: Six Initiatives That Are Enhancing the Efforts of Criminal Justice Practitioners, Bureau of Justice Assistance, February 2000, Washington, DC, NCJ 179559.)

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has developed four pilot programs to enhance the ability of law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies to recognize, respond to, investigate, prosecute, and prevent hate crimes. Each program includes material to assist in the development of victim sensitive hate crime scene response, and victims' assistance and support throughout the criminal justice process.

National hate crime training initiative. A working group of prosecutors, law enforcement, victim services, and training agencies brought together by the Department of Justice has developed four training curricula on hate crimes, each designed for a different level of law enforcement: patrol and responding officers, investigators and detectives, supervisors and command officers, and an audience of all levels of law enforcement professionals. Each curriculum provides trainers with lesson plans and training materials for an eight-hour course that covers the following topics:

• History of hate crimes.

• Identifying hate crimes: definitions, bias crime indicators, and offender typology.

• Legal issues.

• Guidelines for an effective response.

• Investigative strategies and guidelines for collection and preservation of evidence.

• Victim trauma.

• Community strategies and relationships.

• Case studies.

A national initiative has been developed and implemented to train teams of trainers who commit to conducting a minimum of four hate crime training events within their states. In total, seventy-eight teams were selected from fifty states and the District of Columbia; this has resulted in the training of more than 4,000 law enforcement and other criminal justice professionals.

In an effort to address the training needs of officers who do not receive the eight-hour training on hate crime investigation, BJA developed two other resources for learning the basics of hate crime response: BJA's Roll Call Video and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) publication, Responding to Hate Crimes: A Police Officer's Guide to Investigation and Prevention, which was funded by BJA and OVC (see below).

Roll Call Video: Responding to Hate Crimes. This twenty-minute film covers major areas of hate crime investigation and response, including training on the identification of bias indicators; appropriate first responses to potential hate crimes; investigative procedures for potential hate crimes; evidence collection and presentation; understanding and responding appropriately to victim trauma; maintaining positive community relations when responding to hate crimes; and resources available to officers. Every state, county, and municipal law enforcement agency in the nation will receive a copy of the video, along with an instructor's handbook that provides answers to frequently asked questions about hate crimes.

Responding to Hate Crimes: A Police Officer's Guide to Investigation and Prevention. This IACP publication consists of two training tools: a twelve-page in-depth guidebook that covers major components of an effective response to and investigation of hate crimes, and a pocket guide on investigative procedures. The guidebook has a written checklist that covers the essential components of an effective response to hate crimes, including a definition of hate crimes; an explanation of the difference between hate crimes and bias incidents; key indicators of bias motivation; steps to take at the scene of a possible hate crime; sensitive, effective approaches to assisting victims of hate crimes; and strategies that police departments and officers can take in their communities to prevent hate crimes. The pocket guide addresses the key issues an officer faces at the scene of a hate crime, e.g., effective hate crime response, actions to be taken at the crime scene, key indicators of hate crimes, and ways to meet the needs of hate crime victims. The IACP, with funding from BJA and OVC, will print and distribute 450,000 copies of the publication to police departments and victim advocates across the nation.

Resource Guide for Prosecutors. Currently in development, the American Prosecutors Research Institute's (APRI) Resource Guide for Prosecutors will provide prosecuting offices with a comprehensive resource guide for responding to hate crimes. It will also highlight model protocols and procedures from around the nation to help prosecutors' offices develop policies and procedures relevant to handling hate crime investigations and prosecutions. The material covers issues that arise during hate crime prosecutions, including procedures for working with outside agencies and organizations; case screening, investigation, assignment and preparation; victim and witness impact and support; trial preparation; sentencing alternatives; and prevention efforts. APRI will distribute a copy of the resource guide to all 3,100 local and state prosecutors' offices in the country.

• www.stopthehate.org. Members of the Massachusetts Student Civil Rights Project designed this Web site for students in high schools, colleges, and communities as an educational and reporting resource. Students and student victims can report (anonymously if they choose) hate crimes and bias-motivated incidents directly through the Web site. There is also resource, historical, and creative content. In the "Youth Voices" section, students can share information about hate crimes, civil rights, and diversity issues. "Creative Change" is a page that allows students to express themselves through poetry and art on the subject of race and bias. "Heritage" offers an introduction to civil rights history in the U.S., with links to other sites for those who want to learn more. Opportunities for involvement are offered through listings of internships, jobs, and volunteer possibilities. There is also a resource database of organizations doing anti-bias work. The Student Civil Rights Project is a model program initiated by the Massachusetts Governor's Task Force on Hate Crimes in April 1998. The Student Civil Rights Project consists of a diverse group of high school and college students from across Massachusetts who came together to identify, explore, review, and design curricula and resources that school communities can use to combat violence and hatred. Governor's Task Force on Hate Crimes, c/o Executive Office of Public Safety, Programs Division, 1 Ashburton Place, Suite 2110, Boston, MA 02108 (617-727-6300).

• "Hateful Acts Hurt Kids." The U.S. Department of Justice KidsPage has an interactive Web site called "Hateful Acts Hurt Kids," that teaches children from kindergarten through fifth grade about hate and bias crimes. The Web site aims to promote discussion among children, parents, and teachers about prejudice, discrimination, and related issues; sensitize elementary school-age children to the unfairness and pain of prejudice; give children who may be victims of prejudice problem-solving skills; and show children what they can do when they find themselves in the role of bystanders to help prevent or de-escalate hurtful acts based on prejudice. Children read about other children who have experienced prejudice in a variety of familiar settings: homes, schools, lunchrooms, playgrounds, and neighborhoods. <http://www.justice.gov/kidspage/bias-k-5/parents.htm>.

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