HATE CRIMES
 TO
DISLIKE PASSIONATELY OR
INTENSELY
 TO HAVE AN EXTREME
AVERSION TOWARD ANOTHER
PERSON, IDEA, OR OBJECT
Problems caused by hate crimes

Hate crimes demand a special response from
law enforcement and civic leaders
– These crimes merit a priority response
because of their special impact on the
victim and the victim’s community
– Hate crimes may effectively intimidate
other members of the victim’s community,
leaving them feeling isolated, vulnerable
and unprotected by the law
– Traditionally, victims have not received
special attention or assistance
Problems caused by hate crimes
Acts are too frequently dismissed as
“pranks” or ordinary cases of:
– Vandalism
– Criminal damaging
– Assault
– Harassment
– Menacing
Effective responses by police to
crimes motivated by hate are
essential to prevent their spread
HATE CRIMES PLACE BASIC
FREEDOMS OF AMERICAN SOCIETY
IN JEOPARDY
 Right
to
 Right to
 Right to
 Right to
individual liberty
equality of opportunity
religious expression
freedom of association
In Ohio, a perpetrator
commits a hate crime if he
or she intentionally selects
the victim “by reason of” the
victim’s race, religion, color
or national origin. Hatred is
not an element of the crime.
ANY UNLAWFUL ACT
DESIGNED TO FRIGHTEN OR
HARM AN INDIVIDUAL
BECAUSE OF HIS OR HER
RACE, RELIGION OR
NATIONAL ORIGIN
ETHNIC
INTIMIDATION LAW
IN OHIO ORC
2927.12

No person shall, by reason of the race,
color, religion or national origin of
another person or group of persons,
violate the following sections of the
Revised Code:
– 2903.21 – Aggravated menacing
– 2903.22 – Menacing
– 2906.06 – Criminal Damaging or
Endangering
– 2909.07 – Criminal Mischief
– Division (A) (3) (4) or (5) of 2917.21 –
Telecommunications Harassment
Division (A) (3) 2917.21: Prohibits any
person from committing Aggravated
Menacing during a telecommunication
 Division (A) (4) 2917.21: Prohibits any
person from knowingly stating to the
recipient of a telecommunications that the
caller intends:

– To cause damage to, or
– Destroy public or private property, or
– The recipient, any member of the recipient’s
family or
– Any other person who resides at the
premises to which the telecommunications
is made, owns, leases, resides or works in
will
– At the time of the destruction or damaging,
be near or in, has the responsibility of
protecting or insures the property that will
be destroyed or damaged

Division (A)(5) 2917.21: Prohibits
person from knowingly making a
telecommunication to:
– The recipient of the telecommunication…
– To another person at the premises to
–
–
–
–
which the telecommunication is made or
To those premises…
The recipient or
Another person at those premises
previously has told the caller not to make
a telecommunication to those premises or
To any other person at those premises
Whoever violates section
2927.12, Ethnic Intimidation, is
guilty of ethnic intimidation, which
is an offense of the next higher
degree than the offense the
commission of which is a
necessary element of Ethnic
Intimidation

No person shall, by reason of the race,
color, religion or national origin of
another person or group of persons,
violate the following sections of the
Revised Code:
– 2903.21 – Aggravated menacing
– 2903.22 – Menacing
– 2906.06 – Criminal Damaging or
Endangering
– 2909.07 – Criminal Mischief
– Division (A) (3) (4) or (5) of 2917.21 –
Telecommunications Harassment
FEDERAL RELIGIOUS
VANDALISM ACT

Makes it a Federal crime to intentionally
damage or destroy any religious real property
because of the religious character of the
property where the loss exceeds $10,000

The law also punishes anyone who
intentionally obstructs by force or threat of
force any person in the engagement of that
person’s free exercise of religious beliefs
Special emotional and psychological
impact on the victim and his/her
community
 Can increase racial, religious, gender
and sexual orientation tensions
 Can lead to reprisals by others in the
community thereby escalating violence
and turmoil


If officers fail to make an effective
response or respond in ways that
demonstrate a lack of concern,
perpetrators may interpret the inactivity
as official sympathy or even sanction
The impact of being a crime victim is
traumatic
 The impact of being a victim to a hate
crime is compounded by the idea of
being targeted for race, religion, gender
or sexual orientation

The importance of effective law
enforcement response to hate
crimes
Reduces fear and anger; facilitates recovery
of victims, witnesses and the community
 Convinces victims and the community that
law enforcement takes their concerns
seriously
 Tells actual and potential offenders that such
crimes will not be tolerated
 Mitigates the potential for “copy cat” behavior

The importance of effective law
enforcement response to hate
crimes
Reduces the potential for retaliation
 Generates trust and goodwill between
the community and the police
department
 Increases the police department’s
credibility
 Increases law enforcement officer pride
and satisfaction in his/her job

The presence of visible symbols of
hatred and bias
 The victim’s report as to
what the perpetrator said
and did
 Absence of any other
motive

NATURE OF THE
PERPETRATOR
The majority of hate crime perpetrators
are young people
 A compilation of arrest records from the
entire U.S. document that most hate
crimes are committed by persons under
21 years of age
 More likely to be committed by groups
than individuals

NATURE OF THE
PERPETRATOR
The rise in hate crimes parallels the rise
in the number of young people joining
hate organizations
 1988 - 1500 members of the Skinheads
in 12 states
 1993 - 3500 members of the Skinheads
in 40 states

2008 FBI Statistics-Hate Crimes

Intimidation accounted for 48.8%
 Simple assaults 32.1%
 Aggravated assaults 18.5 percent.
 Seven murders were reported as hate
crimes
 3,608 crimes against property
 17.7 percent consisted mainly of robbery,
burglary, theft, and arson
NATURE OF THE PERPETRATOR
In 2000, nearly
– 65% of hate crime offenders were White
– 19% were Black
– 5% were multiracial
– 14% were of Asian-Pacific Island origin
– 1% was Native American and
– 10% of the offenders were unknown.
2008 FBI Statistics-Hate Crimes

61.1% were white
 20.2 % were black
 11% were of an unknown race
 31.9 percent of hate crimes took place in or
near homes
 17.4 percent took place on highways, roads,
alleys, or streets
 11.7 percent in schools and colleges
 6.1 percent in parking lots and garages
2008 FBI Statistics-Hate Crimes

11.7 percent in schools and colleges
 6.1 percent in parking lots and garages
 4.2 percent in churches, synagogues, or
temples
 There were 105 anti-Islamic incidents
reported in 2008
 One-tenth the amount of anti-Semitic
incidents, which totaled 1,103
Ten questions an
investigating officer might
ask to confirm that the
victim was intentionally
selected because of his/her
race, religion, color or
national origin
10 QUESTIONS
Is the victim different from the
suspected perpetrators with regard
to:
– Race
– Religion
– National Origin
– Color
Did the incident occur because of
this difference?
10 QUESTIONS
Did the victim recently move into
the area and is his or her family
the only one or one of just a few
families of their racial, ethnic or
religious groups in the
neighborhood?
 What is the victim’s relationship
with his or her neighbors and/or
local community groups?

10 QUESTIONS
Has the victim experienced past or
repeated incidents of a similar
nature?
 Was the victim put into a state of
fear by the incident and did the
perpetrator commit the crime with
the goal of creating such fear?

10 QUESTIONS
Is there a connection between the
date of the incident and the
holidays, special programs or
events?
 Is an organized hate group
indicated in the incident?
– Is hate literature involved?
– Is there suspected hate activity in the
area?
10 QUESTIONS
Does the MO signify a “copycat” syndrome
that might be the result of media coverage of
other similar incidents?
 Were there any recent occurrences in the
community or incidents reported in the media
in which a member of the group to which the
victim belongs, making this a “payback” or
“revenge” incident harmed member of the
offending group?

OTHER INDICATORS
Bias related comments, written
statements or gestures made by
the offenders
 Bias related drawings, markings,
symbols or graffiti left at the scene
of the incident
 Objects or items that represent the
work of organized hate groups

VICTIMS OF HATE CRIMES
EXPRESS FIVE NEEDS
 To
feel safe
 To feel that people care
 To receive assistance
 Redemption
 Retaliation
VICTIMS OF HATE CRIMES
EXPERIENCE DEEP EMOTIONAL
STRESS THAT IS HEIGHTENED BY
FEELINGS OF:
 Fear
 Terror
 Personal
violation
 Degradation
Refer victim to individuals or organizations
that can provide support and assistance,
such as victim assistance agencies





Court-affiliated
Community-based
Social service organizations
Clergy in the victim’s religious
denomination or religious preference
Legal services
They must rescue any victims
and/or administer appropriate
emergency care
 They must prevent any further
contamination if chemical
weapons are involved
 They must prevent further
casualties

They must protect the
scene from the standpoint
of evidence
 They must endeavor to
identify victims, witnesses,
evidence and suspects
while the crime scene is still
“fresh”
