Hate crimes were on the rise in the United States even before the COVID-19 pandemic pushed people's buttons in new ways.
The fact of the increase prompted the Oregon Legislature to update hate and bias crime laws in 2019, and the changes included a reporting requirement for the state Department of Justice.
The first such report recently came out, showing that race was the class of people most targeted by bias crimes in the reporting period.
We explore the findings of the report and discuss the official responses prompted by it. Guests are Ken Sanchagrin, Executive Director of the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, and Johanna Costa, Bias Response Coordinator at the Department of Justice.
The Bias Response Hotline: 1-844-924-BIAS (2427) or go online to report.