HATE CRIME - DEFINITION: Any unlawful action designed to frighten, harm, injure, intimidate, or harass an individual, in whole or in part, because of a bias motivation against the actual or perceived race, religion, ethnic/national origin, sexual orientation, gender, or disability of the victim.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
- Protect yourself. Defuse the situation if at all possible. Do not respond to taunts.
- Call 911 immediately. Consult this information and state you are reporting a hate crime.
- Note the physical descriptions of the suspects in as much detail as possible.
- Write down everything that was said and done, including the time and location.
- FILE A POLICE REPORT
- Get involved. Be a witness if someone else is a victim.
- If you know the suspects, ask about obtaining a restraining order.
- Stress that the crime was motivated by hate based on perceived sexual orientation. You do not have to reveal your sexual orientation to report the crime and you should not be asked to. It is the suspect's perception that matters. Whether or not the perception is correct is irrelevant under the law.
- Describe in detail the date or prejudice that was expressed and what caused you to fear harm.
EXAMPLES:
- "They approach in a menacing manner, called me Faggot in an angry voice, and then threatened to kill me."
- "They drove by us as we walked down the sidewalk, shouted Dykes out the window and hurled a beer bottle at us."
- Get the report number from the responding officer.