At the federal level, a hate crime is defined as a crime motivated by bias against race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. A bias or hate incident is defined as acts of prejudice that are not crimes and do not involve violence, threats, or property damage. Hate Crimes | United States Department of Justice | Hate Crimes | Learn More
2022 FBI Hate Crime Statistics
National Statistics
In March, the FBI released its hate crime statistics for 2022. Of the agencies who submitted incident reports, nationally there were 11,634 hate crime incidents involving 13,337 offenses. The bias motivation included 17.2% for sexual orientation and 4% for gender identity. Hate Crimes | United States Department of Justice | Hate Crimes | Facts and Statistics. However, the Department of Justice stated that “experts estimate an average of 250,000 hate crimes were committed each year between 2004 and 2015 in the United States. The majority of these were not reported to law enforcement.” Hate Crimes | United States Department of Justice | Hate Crimes | Learn More
Iowa Statistics
For Iowa, the bias motivation for 2022 hate crimes was 24.7% for sexual orientation and 4.1% for gender identity. For incidents based on sexual orientation there were 3 reported in 2020, 10 in 2021 and 18 in 2022. For incidents based on gender identity, there were 0 reported in 2020, 3 in 2021 and 3 in 2022. iowa_hate_crimes_incidents_2022.pdf (justice.gov)
The following are two examples of hate crimes in Iowa.
In 2018, in Iowa, a man was convicted of first-degree murder for the joint kidnapping, torture, and execution of gender-fluid Burlington teen Kedarie Johnson. A federal hated crimes prosecutor helped at the trial. Office of Public Affairs | Man Convicted of First-Degree Murder For Joint Kidnapping, Torture, and Execution of Gender-Fluid Teen Kedarie Johnson | United States Department of Justice.
In 2021, an Iowa woman was sentenced to 304 months in prison for hate crimes involving attempting to kill two children because of their race and national origin. Office of Public Affairs | Iowa Woman Sentenced to 304 Months in Prison for Hate Crimes Involving Attempting to Kill Two Children Because of their Race and National Origin | United States Department of Justice.
What to Do If You See or Experience a Hate Crime
If you believe you were the victim of a hate crime or witnessed a hate crime, the Department of Justice asks that you immediately call 911 or your local police. Then they ask that you immediately report the incident to the FBI Online: You can report a hate crime to the FBI online at: tips.FBI.gov or by phone at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). Victims and witnesses of federal crimes, who have suffered physical, financial or emotional harm, may be eligible for assistance and protection. Call the victim witness coordinator at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Northern District of Iowa | Victim Witness Assistance (justice.gov); Hate Crimes | United States Department of Justice | Hate Crimes | Report a Hate Crime
For additional support, some local police departments have an officially designated liaison to the LGBTQ community who is responsible for addressing LGBTQ issues. The role of a liaison is be a both a resource for the department and a resource for the public to advance the concerns of the LGBTQ community and ensure they are being heard.
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