How to Report Hate Crimes and Incidents and Get Help

  Hate crime or hate incident?

     A hate crime is a misdemeanor or felony criminal act committed against a person, group, or property that is motivated by hatred or intentional bias against the victim's real or perceived protected identity characteristic.  A perceived protected identity characteristic includes being regarded as, perceived as, or treated as having the protected characteristic, regardless of whether the perception is accurate.

    A hate incident is an action or behavior motivated by hate or intentional bias toward a protected group that does not rise to the level of a crime.  Freedom of speech under the U.S. and California Constitutions allows hateful rhetoric as long as it does not interfere with the civil rights of others.

 How to spot a hate crime:

Signs that a crime was motivated by hate or bias may include:

• The offender chose the victim or property because they belonged to a protected group, e.g., a certain religion, race, or gender.
• The offender made written or verbal comments showing prejudice, e.g., slurs, symbols.
• The crime happened at a location that is significant for the victim's protected group, e.g., a house of worship, a community center, a parade, or a cultural celebration.
• The crime happened on a date that is significant for the victim's protected group, e.g., a religious holiday, a cultural holiday such as Chinese New Year or Pride celebrations, or an anniversary date.
• There is a organized hate activity in the area.

 If you are in danger, call 911 or contact your local law enforcement agency immediately.

 If you witness a hate crime, you should report the crime to your local law enforcement agency.

Where to find help:

• Contact 911 or go to a local hospital if you need immediate medical attention. To file a report, contact your local law enforcement agency.
• CA vs. Hate Resource Line and Network
• CA vs. Hate is not a law enforcement reporting line but you can report hate crimes and incidents at (833) 866-4283 or report on-line at         https://stophate.calcivilrights.ca.gov/s/. Reporting will stop the normalization of hate in our communities, and ensure impacted individuals get help. CA v. Hate also provides access to culturally competent resources and support for communities and victims.
• California Attorney General’s Office Victims’ Services Unit
• The Victims’ Services Unit offers crime victims and their families support at every stage of the criminal process. For more information call (877) 433-9069 or visit https://oag.ca.gov/hatecrimes
• California Civil Rights Department (CRD)
• The CRD is the state agency charged with enforcing the Ralph Civil Rights Act. If you have been a victim of a hate crime or hate incident, you can file a complaint with CRD against the person who harmed you. For more information on how to file a complaint, visit https://Calcivilrights.ca.gov/complaintprocess, or call (800) 884-1684 (Toll Free) or (800) 700-2320 (TTY).
• Local District Attorney’s Office Victim Witness Assistance Center
• Each county and the City of Los Angeles has a Victim Witness Assistance Center that works directly with the California Victim Compensation Board to help victims. For information on a local office and resources, visit https://victims.ca.gov/victims/localhelp.aspx.

More information can be found in the supporting document.