• Violent Relationships • Hate Crimes

• The Bias Crimes Task Force • Hate Crime Enforcement

To report a hate crime, call: (202) 727-0550.

Violent Relationships

Many people think violent relationships only happen between men and women; but it can happen to anyone—gay or straight, young or old, rich or poor, female or male. It happens to people of all races and in all cultures of the world.

Domestic violence happens when one person believes they can control another person, using certain tactics to establish power through fear and intimidation. It can include, but is not limited to, the threat or actual use of physical violence, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and isolation. Also, homophobia or heterosexism within society may enforce the silence that surrounds same-sex domestic violence.

Nobody deserves to be in an abusive situation. This brochure provides examples of how an abuser might try to establish power or control over their partner. No two abusive situations are the same, and abusers may use many, some, or just a few of these behaviors, as well as other kinds of abuse. Also included in the pamphlet is a list of resources specifically geared towards, or accepting of all members of the GLBTQ community.

For more information, read the following: Violent Relationships in GLBT Communities (PDF)

What is a Hate Crime?

A hate crime is a criminal offense committed against persons, property or society that is motivated, in whole or in part, by an offender's bias against an individual's or a group's race, religion, ethnic/national origin, gender, age, disability or sexual orientation. Hate crimes include not only violence against individuals or groups but also crimes against property, such as arson or vandalism, particularly those directed against community centers or houses of worship.

As of 1999, 41 states and the District of Columbia have statutes that provide enhanced penalties for hate crimes. These statutes are a recognition that hate crimes victimize the entire community and lead to a loss of trust in the criminal justice system, the polarization of communities and a sense of vulnerability on the part of those who are targets of hate criminals.

The hate crime statute in the District of Columbia, the Bias-Related Crime Act of 1989, 22 D.C. Code 3701 - 3704, is one of the most far-reaching and comprehensive hate crime statutes in the nation. It broadly defines a bias-related crime as a "designated act that demonstrates an accused's prejudice based on the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, family responsibility, physical handicap, matriculation or political affiliation of a victim of the subject designated act." A "designated act" is defined as a criminal act, including arson, assault, burglary, injury to property, kidnapping, manslaughter, murder, rape, robbery, theft or unlawful entry or attempting, aiding, abetting, advising, inciting, conniving or conspiring to commit any of these criminal acts.

Under the statute, a person found guilty of committing a designated act with a bias-related motive is subject to a prison term and/or a fine that is 1.5 times higher than the maximum that could be imposed upon conviction of the designated act. In addition to the enhanced penalties for crimes motivated by hate, the statute also provides hate crime victims with the opportunity to seek civil damages from their victimizers.

For more information, read the following:
• Fact Sheet for Anti-Transgender Violence (PDF)
• Hate Crimes - GLLU Factsheet (PDF)

The Bias Crimes Task Force

The D.C. Bias Crimes Task Force was founded in February 1996 as a partnership of federal and local law enforcement officers, prosecutors and community organizations. Members of the Task Force include the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI, the Office of the Corporation Counsel, U.S. Park Police, U.S. Capitol Police, U.S. Secret Service, the District of Columbia Public Schools and a number of interested private and community groups.

In addition to coordinating hate-crime law enforcement, the Task Force also seeks to increase awareness of federal and local hate crime statutes, to inform the community of resources that are available to victims of hate crimes, and to educate the community about the need to report hate crimes and the procedures for making such reports.

Hate Crime Enforcement

Thanks to the efforts of the Task Force members, the prosecution of hate crimes in the District of Columbia has steadily increased. However, there is much more work to be done in the U.S. Attorney's Office and in the law enforcement community to combat hate crimes in the District of Columbia. The first step toward increased prosecution of hate crimes is to educate ourselves on how to identify a potential hate crime, so that we can investigate and possibly uncover the bias-related motivation that would underlie a hate crime prosecution. The second step is to educate the community about the importance of reporting hate crimes and services available to victims of hate crimes.

When confronted with a potential hate crime, an officer or a prosecutor should examine the circumstances of the crime to determine whether a hate- related bias motivated the perpetrator of the crime. The following is a checklist of questions law enforcement should consider in making that determination:

1. What are the perceptions of the victim(s) and witnesses about the motivation behind the crime?
2. Were there any comments, gestures or written statements by the perpetrator that reflect bias?
3. Was the victim engaged in activities promoting his/her group or community at the time of the crime?
4. Did the incident coincide with a holiday or date of significance to a particular group?
5. Were there any differences between perpetrator and victim, whether actual or simply perceived by the perpetrator?
6. Have there been similar incidents in the same area that indicate a possible pattern?
7. Did the incident occur in an area that has seen activity by organized hate groups?
8. Is there an absence of any other motive, such as economic gain, that would explain why the crime was committed?

It is important for both officers and prosecutors to keep this checklist in mind and to be vigilant for the presence of bias-related motives behind the crimes we investigate and prosecute. Together, we can use the hate crime statutes to prevent our citizens from being the victims of this reprehensible and dehumanizing type of criminal conduct.

For community concerns or victim assistance you can call the U.S. Attorney Community Outreach Specialist for your district, our Victim / Witness Assistance Unit or one of the Hate Crime Coordinators. For information about hate crimes in the District of Columbia contact United States Attorney Albert Herring at (202) 514-6930 or email him at . The number one priority in the FBI's Civil Rights Program is the investigation of hate crimes.