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Five Main Characteristics of Hate Crimes

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Five Main Characteristics of Hate Crimes
FIVE MAIN CHARATERISTICS OF HATE CRIMES
By
Tameka Young, Fred Harris, Coretta Rainey, Tim Tala, and Tanaia Reid
American Intercontinental University
February 16, 2012
Introduction to Law Enforcement
Professor Major Wenda Phifer
Thursday 8:30-11:30 am

Abstract
In this paper hates crimes or bias crimes such as, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and ethnicity are discussed. There will be real world examples of hate crimes or bias crimes and ways or programs that are set up to protect citizens. Hate crimes and hate incidents-those that are motivated by an offender’s bias against an individual’s or group’s race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnic/national origin, gender, or age- are also major issues for the police because of their unique impact or victims and the community. Hate crime laws have been adopted on the federal and state level that increases the penalties for crimes committed when the motivation by the race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, or disability of the victim. Crimes against an individual usually affects only that individual, but hate crimes are intended to terrorize an entire group or class of people. Therefore, the impact of a hate crime is far greater and should be penalized more severely. The Georgia Supreme Court voted 7-0 to throw out the state’s existing hate crimes law because, unlike other similar laws, does not list groups that could be victims and therefore is “unconstitutionally vague”.

Bias is a preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons based on their race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity/national origin. There are 7,800 hate-crime offenses involving 9,100 victims are reported annually, and those numbers are increasing steadily. (Peak, 2012). (pg.441). People fear what they do not know, but that stems from ignorance and the unwillingness to understand and to be open minded. In 1990, Congress passed the Hate Crimes


Bibliography: Campaign, H. R. (2009, July 23). FAQ. Retrieved February 9, 2012, from Fight Hate Now: http://www.sites.hrc.org Grattet, J. a. (1998). The Homogenization and Differentiation of 'Hate Crime ' Law in the U.S. Jacobs, James B., and Potter, Kimberly. Hate Crimes: Criminal Law and Identity Politics. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. Montaldo, C. (2004, October 325). Georgia Hate Crimes Law Tossed by Court. Retrieved February 9, 2012, from About.com Crime/Punishment: http://www.crime.about.com Montaldo, C. (2004, October 25). Hate Crime Laws and Sexual Orientation. Retrieved February 9, 2012, from About.com Crime/Punishment: http://www.crime.about.com Peak, J. K. (2012). Policing America: Challenges and Best Practices. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. ——. Punishing Hate: Bias Crimes Under American Law. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University press, 1999. Reference: http://eji.org
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