Source: CT gov It is an unfortunate reality that the number of hate crimes in the nation and in our state have been steadily rising in recent years.Statistics gathered by the F.B.I indicate that there were 6,121 reported hate crimes in 2016; 8,263 in 2020, and 11,862 in 2023. Some 5,900 of the incidents in the 2023 report were anti-Black, three times higher than the next highest racial or ethnic category. Religion-based incidents in the 2023 report totaled 2,699, more than half driven by anti-Jewish bias; incidents involving anti-Muslim bias also rose.The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reports that the number of hate incidents reported in Connecticut jumped from 91 in 2020 to 682 in 2024 —an increase of 650 percent. Antisemitic incidents in Connecticut, according to the ADL, spiked from 24 in 2020 to 184, dropping slightly to 159 in 2024. Connecticut hate crime statistics compiled by the state police also show an upward trend. In 2021, there were 75 hate crime incidents; in 2024 there were 103. Hate crimes in Connecticut went from 87 in 2021 to 130 in 2024.
I want to point out three things; first, there is a difference between a "hate incidence" and a "hate crime." A hate incident is someone calling with transphobic slurs and a hate crime is when a treat of violence or damage to property. Second... I rather call them bias crimes rather than hate crimes because not all bias crimes involve hate (I didn't sell him cake because I hate him but because I don't like Blacks doesn't involve hate just discrimination.). And third, I am on the Council that the judge is writing about.
Concerned about what was happening, the Connecticut legislature passed a law creating the Hate Crimes Advisory Council (HCAC). Pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes Section 51-279f, the council is responsible for encouraging and coordinating programs that increase community awareness and reporting of hate crimes. It also is charged with making recommendations for legislation concerning hate crimes, including recommendations on restitution for victims, and alternative sentencing programs for juveniles and first-time offenders.
The committee members, appointed by the governor, represent a diverse group of people from the private sector, police authorities, and state government. Consistent with its charge, the HCAC has been busily engaged in a wide variety of initiatives. Here are some of the most significant.
The article goes on to describe the council's duties and responsibilities.
Regular meetings: Meetings of the HCAC are held every other month. They typically involve discussions of what is being done by the HCAC’s many subcommittees, what initiatives are being undertaken, and invited speakers who are experts in the hate crimes area, or who represent various of the communities affected by hate crimes.The communities include but are not limited to the Black, Jewish, trans, Asian, handicapped and Sikh communities. Hybrid meetings, held in person at the Office of the Chief States Attorney, 300 Corporate Place, Rocky Hill, are open to the public.
Guess who the trans person is?
I am proud of this part...
Third party reporting portal: It is an article of faith that hate crimes are radically underreported for a number of reasons, including the reluctance of victims to contact police authorities due to distrust or concern about immigration status.While we encourage individuals to report hate incidents to local law enforcement, we concluded that an alternative public reporting tool would encourage people who prefer not to deal with police authorities to report their victimization. Working with community stakeholders an online portal is being created to permit victims to report hate crimes and hate incidents without contacting police authorities.
i.e. A Tip Line
Some of the other topics covered are:
- Investigative form [All the police departments now have the same forms]
- Third party reporting portal
- Outreach
- Filing of annual reports
- Public awareness advertisement [There will be a 30 sec ad coming out next moth.]
- Legislative efforts and proposals [The bill that we sponsored never made it to the floor.]
The article end with...
Hate crimes and hateful incidents not only harm individuals but also spread fear through the community of which a victim is a part and corrode our civic sensibilities. They also tear at the social fabric of our multi-ethnic democracy which, for all its challenges, is still a miraculous achievement.
When a member of the trans gets attack, the whole community knows about it and is affected. It is an attack on the whole community.
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