In the year since California launched a hotline for reporting hate crimes, the state has received 1,020 reports of hate crimes, including discrimination and harassment claims. The hotline was created to address the increase in hate crimes across California during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the calls were related to race or ethnicity, with 26.8% of calls citing anti-Black bias. The second- and third-most cited incidents involved anti-Latino and anti-Asian bias [d8d5aac1].
The most cited reasons for calls were race and ethnicity bias, accounting for more than one-third of the total calls received. The second most reported category was related to gender identity, accounting for 15.1% of calls. Calls related to anti-Jewish violence accounted for 36.9% of religious targeting calls [d8d5aac1].
The hotline not only serves as a reporting mechanism but also offers services such as mental health support, assistance with filing civil rights complaints, and legal services. It aims to provide comprehensive support to individuals affected by hate crimes [d8d5aac1].
The one-year mark comes as the state Legislature deliberates a reparations package linked to combating hate crimes. This package reflects the ongoing efforts to address and prevent hate crimes in California [d8d5aac1].
In a similar initiative, the provincial government of British Columbia has launched a helpline for people to report racist incidents. The helpline, available in over 240 languages, aims to provide support, guidance, and referrals to local community support services and counseling. It will also assist in reporting incidents to the police. The helpline was created in response to the need for better resources to address racist incidents, as highlighted by recent incidents in Burnaby. Data from the helpline will help officials understand the occurrence and nature of racist incidents in the province. This initiative is part of the government's efforts to create a more inclusive and equitable province [b2bd7e33].