Baltimore (WBFF) — Attorney General Anthony Brown announced that his Civil Rights Division has created a new online portal, nohomeforhate.md.gov, to provide victims of hate in Maryland an additional avenue to report information about hate crimes and bias incidents, after their initial calls to 911.
For too long, hate crimes have been underreported and underestimated, but victims don’t have to suffer in silence. I am listening. This new portal is a safe place to speak up. It will help us all understand how widespread these incidents are, so we can better address them, explained Attorney General Brown in a news release. Tackling hate crimes and making our state safer for everyone, whether you live here or are just visiting, is one of my top priorities. There is no home for hate in Maryland.
Incidents of hate in Maryland are steadily increasing. In 2022, 465 hate crimes and hate bias incidents were reported compared to 388 reports in 2021, which was more than double the 155 reports in 2014.
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Information provided in the new reporting form will be used for:
- Tracking hate crimes and hate bias incidents.
- Identifying trends in hate crimes and hate bias incidents.
- Informing the work of the Office of the Attorney General and the Maryland Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention to develop recommendations for improving Maryland’s response to hate crimes and bias incidents.
With the support of a grant from the United States Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the office worked in partnership with the Maryland Department of Information Technology (DoIT) on the creation of this new online portal and reporting form, nohomeforhate.md.gov.
DoIT is proud to assist the Attorney General's Office to provide Marylanders with a portal that will act as a resource for information and give Marylanders the ability to share vital input with government agencies regarding hate crimes in Maryland, said Katie Savage, DoIT Secretary of Information Technology in a news release.
The nohomeforhate.md.gov website and mobile-friendly app are now live and ready for use.
CALL 911:
- The website and reporting form do not replace calling 911. If you are the victim of or a witness to a hate bias incident or hate crime in Maryland, call 911. You can then report the incident using the office’s new reporting form for tracking purposes and to access resources.
REPORTING FORM:
- The new portal will host a reporting form that will make it easier for victims and witnesses of hate crimes to access available resources. The reporting form will be available in the 11 most-spoken languages in Maryland.
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RESOURCES:
This portal contains information to help Marylanders identify hate crimes and bias incidents, as well as resources for those who have been victims of, or impacted by, hate. These include not only national and local government organizations where you can report a hate crime but also community groups that can be helpful and supportive for someone dealing with the aftermath of having been the victim of a hate crime.
ANONYMITY:
You can report anonymously from wherever you are. For example, if you are standing on the street and see a hate crime or hate bias act being committed, call 911 first to report the incident to law enforcement, and then connect to the site from your phone to report the information to the hate crime portal anonymously.
MARYLAND COMMISSION ON HATE CRIME RESPONSE AND PREVENTION:
The new portal will also house information about the Maryland Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention, which is chaired by Attorney General Brown. Information on Commission meetings and public events that, as well as an archive of press releases and past events, will be housed on the portal.
HOW TO USE THE PORTAL AND THE REPORTING FORM:
We have created a tutorial video to help users navigate the portal. Please click here for the video. The reporting form is a supplemental reporting tool and will not always be sent to law enforcement for investigation and prosecution. If a victim or witness prefers to call to make a report or if they are using assistive technologies and would like additional assistance, they can contact our Hate Crimes Hotline at 1-866-481-8361.
