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The Nature of Hate Crimes Essay

Updated August 8, 2022
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The Nature of Hate Crimes Essay essay

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The following paper will show the plan that I, the new police chief, have implemented in order to address current multicultural issues amongst law enforcement personnel and the community. This plan is being submitted to the community and community leaders who have expressed their concerns about the current state of community police communication and community police relations. Listed below I have the objectives of this plan.

  • Identify the victims of hate crime
  • Know the nature of the crimes
  • Comprehend the laws against hate crimes
  • Dissect the investigation technique
  • Understand the prosecution process
  • Understand the responses

It is with high hopes that this plan will address any and all issue that the community and its’ leaders have any concern about.

It is important to discuss the victims of hate crimes, first and foremost, because these individuals are the very reason hate crimes happen. It is important to know why certain people are targeted and what I plan to do about the situation. Often times it is believed that hate crimes are solely linked to race, however, this is false. Hate crimes are any crimes motivated by the offender’s hate/bias against an individual’s race, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability. Below I will display a detailed list of individuals who fall victim to hate crimes. (According to FBI.GOV)

Race/Ethnicity/Ancestry:

  • American Indian or Alaska Native
  • Arab
  • Asian
  • Black or African American
  • Hispanic or Latino

Religion:

  • Buddhist
  • Catholic
  • Islamic
  • Jewish
  • Christian

Sexual Orientation:

  • Bisexual
  • Gay (Male)

Disability:

  • Physical Disability

Gender:

  • Male
  • Female

Gender Identity:

  • Transgender (FBI.GOV)

With the omission of many bullet points, the data is still clear. It is clear that everyone is subject to (possibly) becoming a hate crime victim. For every bullet point listed, there is a person with biased views against it. These people often become “anti”, for example anti-gay or anti-black, meaning this is normally the motivation for hate crimes.

I do not believe there will ever be a complete halt to hate crimes, but a drastic decrease in them can happen within the community. I believe if the community witnesses their police department making a change, then the community will change as well. After making our police department culturally diverse, I believe it will deter hate crimes. This is because the community will see their heroes coexisting with other cultures in peace and it will motivate them to do the same.

In addition to identifying hate crime victims, I also believe it is imperative to know the nature of different types of hate crimes. I believe this should be released to the public to educate them, especially since hate crimes can be committed against anyone.

Hate crimes can range from shooting only Hispanic people in a public area. This is an act of a hate crime because the offender is anti-Hispanic. Another hate crime would be the case where a man shot up a planned parenthood. This is classified as a hate crime because the offender was motivated by his hate of abortion clinics. The last and final example is the hate crime case about the man from Miami who threatened to blow up a mosque.

His motivation for this threat was his hate for Muslims and/or Islamic religion. It is important that the community knows what types of crimes are classified as hate crimes, so that if someone is a witness or a victim, they can report the right information to the authorities.

In many states hate crimes have various types of statutes against any type of bias-motivated violence. Most statutes are put in to place after awful acts of hate crimes were committed. Also each statute covers bias/hate on the basis of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and etc. Below is a chart from Justice.gov displaying the year and purpose of every hate crime statute that has been passed in the US.

The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, 18 U.S.C. § 249 The Shepard Byrd Act makes it a federal crime to willfully cause bodily injury, or attempt to do so using a dangerous weapon, because of the victim’s actual or perceived race, color, religion, or national origin. The Act also extends federal hate crime prohibitions to crimes committed because of the actual or perceived religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of any person, only where the crime affected interstate or foreign commerce or occurred within federal special maritime and territorial jurisdiction. The Shepard-Byrd Act is the first statute allowing federal criminal prosecution of hate crimes motivated by the victim’s actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.

Criminal Interference with Right to Fair Housing, 42 U.S.C. § 3631 This statute makes it a crime to use, or threaten to use force to interfere with housing rights because of the victim’s race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin.

Damage to Religious Property, Church Arson Prevention Act, 18 U.S.C. § 247 This statute prohibits the intentional defacement, damage, or destruction of religious real property because of the religious nature of the property, where the crime affects interstate or foreign commerce, or because of the race, color, or ethnic characteristics of the people associated with the property. The statute also criminalizes the intentional obstruction by force, or threat of force of any person in the enjoyment of that person’s free exercise of religious beliefs.

Violent Interference with Federally Protected Rights, 18 U.S.C. § 245 This statute makes it a crime to use, or threaten to use force to willfully interfere with any person because of race, color, religion, or national origin and because the person is participating in a federally protected activity, such as public education, employment, jury service, travel, or the enjoyment of public accommodations, or helping another person to do so.

Conspiracy Against Rights, 18 U.S.C. § 241 This statute makes it unlawful for two or more persons to conspire to injure, threaten, or intimidate a person in any state, territory, or district in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him or her by the Constitution or the laws of the U.S.

Chart from (JUS.GOV).These statutes play a significant role in apprehending offenders and obtaining justice for the citizens of The United States of America. Before these statutes were put into place I am sure the citizens felt like they were not protected by the law. Or they felt that higher authority officials failed them when it came to being “for the people”. Here at my department we want to hear your concerns and input about what other types of statutes should be added. I believe that the statutes listed here can not possibly be in favor for every person within the United States. It is important that our voices are heard and things are changed in our favor.

In most case (if extreme) The FBI is the lead investigative agency for criminal violations of federal civil rights statutes. The Bureau works closely with its local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement partners around the country in many of these case(FBI.GOV). In my department we will complete a thorough investigation, along with filing all documents needed within the suspected hate crime case. It will be imperative for my officers to know different types of hate groups and study them thoroughly. With the officers knowing the knowledge of different types of hate groups, they will know what types of clues to look for when determining the perpetrator. They should then familiarize themselves with what types of hate groups are active within the community.

They may need to do some research to find out if there has not been any activity from hate groups in a while. After obtaining the information we will notify the public about who or whom they should be on the look out for. Also their motives and a brief, but detailed description will be released as well. The description will include what they are “anti” against, and what kind of attire or colors the group may be wearing. The same procedures will be taken if the perpetrator was a solo act as well. This information can keep innocent citizens out of harm’s way. This could also help them identify the hate group as well, so they will know to call the authorities immediately and to retreat to a safe location. This will help authorities get the hate groups of the streets quickly.

When my officers arrive to the scene of a suspected hate crime, they are expected to firstly, secure the scene. The officers need to take steps to make sure the scene does not escalate anymore than it already is. They are expected to stabilized any injured victims, and administer first aid if needed. The victim may already feel unsafe and uneasy, so it is important to increase the officer presence around the victim. Increased officers around the victim could give them a sense of protection and they may be easier to cooperate with.

The crime scene should be thoroughly analyzed to find any clues of hate. Things such as hate symbols, books, or markings. Next the officer should search the victim for any symbols or markings. If the scene seems to vague for the officers to do alone, they should request the help of a supervisor to guide them and make sure everything is done. The records of the investigation should then be stored. The records should include the victim’s name with details about the condition they were left in. Also the suspects (possible) identity or description. Also the names of witnesses should be documented as well in case it is needed for court done the line. Also an accurate report of what the witnesses saw should be written down word for word.

With investigation and responses my department should also express genuine concern for the victims involved. They should explain to them that the department takes great interest in protecting them and the community. It should be explained to them that we will do all we can to make sure the suspect served and the community gets the justice it deserves.

Prosecuting an individual for a hate crime is normally easier said then done. Targeting an individual’s motive makes it extremely difficult to prosecute hate crimes. Most perpetrators do not verbalize their exact motives for committing a crime. It is best explained here in a quote by Dr. Levin.

“The problem is not all hate-mongers are stupid,” Levin said. “They may not let you know that they hate the members of a particular group. They may realize that they’re better off not voicing a racial slur or putting racist graffiti on a sidewalk or wall of a building.”

This is especially true because it is very seldom that you will see hate graffiti everywhere within a community. Many people have become professionals at hiding their hatred for other. This means that if there is a search for any hate evidence then is will be extremely hard to find. For investigators it will extremely difficult to find any information, it will also be difficult for investigators to prove without a doubt that something is a hate crime. In most cases if something like a man attacks a transgender in a park, it will not be tried as a hate crime but maybe something closer to an assault.

At my department we will try our hardest to obtain any information needed to convict a person of a hate crime. Our duty is to make our community feel at ease and we will not rest until we do so. We constantly remind the community of our goals and express that we are working hard every day to obtain them.

The Nature of Hate Crimes Essay essay

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