Community Relations Service 

U.S. Department of Justice 

Responding to Hate Crimes and Bias-Motivated 

Incidents on College/University Campuses 

Revised September 2003 

www.usdoj.gov/crs 
The Community Relations Service 

The Community Relations Service (CRS), a component of the U.S. Department of Justice, 

is a specialized Federal conciliation service available to State and local officials to help resolve and 

prevent racial and ethnic conflict. CRS offers its services to governors, mayors, police chiefs and 

school officialsin their effortsto defuse racial crises. CRS assistslocal officials and residents design 

locally defined resolutions when conflict and violence threaten community stability and well-being. 

As directed by theCivilRights Act of 1964,CRS conciliators use specialized crisis management and 

violence reduction techniques to provide assistance in identifying the sources of conflict and 

violence and creating a more cohesive community environment. CRS has no law enforcement 

authority and does not impose solutions, investigate or prosecute cases, or assign blame or fault. 

However, CRS conciliators are required by law to conduct their activities in confidence, without 

publicity, and are prohibited from disclosing confidential information. 

For more information about the Community Relation Service, visit: www.usdoj.gov/crs 

Table of Contents 

Introduction 

Hate Crime 

Definition of Hate Crime 

Reporting Requirements 

Background 

Case Study: An Effective Response to a Hate Incident 

Characteristics of Hate Episodes on Campus 

Reactive Hate Episodes 

Impulsive Hate Episodes 

Premeditated Hate Episodes 

Campus Conflict Resolution Services by CRS 

Case Study: Hate E-Mail at the University of Oregon 

Model Crime Prevention Policy – University of Michigan 

Reporting 

Model Reporting Procedure – University of California, Berkeley 

Important Questions During Initial Investigation – Stanford University 

Resolution 
Victim Assistance Resources

Victim Assistance Guidelines

Small v. Large Institutions of Higher Learning

Special Considerations 

Media Relations 

Long-term Impacts 

National Civil Rights Organizations With Hate Resources (partial listing) 

CRS Offices 

CRS Customer Service Standards (Inside Back Cover) 
Responding to Hate Crimes and Bias-Motivated Incidents on 

College/University Campuses 

Introduction 

Based on our work experience, there is no place where hate crimes are occurring with 

increasing frequency, more visibility and hostility, than in institutions of higher education. In the 

course of our casework, we searched the Nation for expertise on the fallout from these incidents, 

and finding very few resources, decided that it would be beneficial to create a guide for 

systematic response to these terrible, hateful acts. 

We created this guide by bringing together a cross-section of representatives from college 

campus law enforcement, college administrators, students, academicians, and civil rights 

organizations from all across the Nation. This focus group discussed how different campuses are 

handling hate crimes on topics including crime investigation, victim assistance, media relations 

and community healing. These discussions created this guide containing case studies and 

highlights of some of the best practices regarding this issue. We hope that this guide and CRS 

will continue to be a helpful resource. 

Hate Crime 

Definition: A hate crime can be generally defined as a crime which in whole or part is 

motivated by the offender’s bias toward the victim’s status. A hate incident is an action in which 

a person is made aware that her/his status is offensive to another, but does not rise to the level of 

a crime. 

Hate crimes are intended to hurt and intimidate individuals, because they are perceived to 

be different with respect to their race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender 

or disability. The purveyors of hate use physical violence, verbal threats of violence, vandalism, 

and in some cases weapons, explosives, and arson, to instill fear in their victims, leaving them 

vulnerable to subsequent attacks and feeling alienated, helpless, suspicious and fearful. These 

acts of hatred can leave lasting emotional impressions upon their victims as well as entire 

communities. 

Reporting Requirements 

Federal and state reporting requirements vary in the definitions and victim categories for 

hate crimes. The FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program (28 U.S.C. §534), Campus Security 

Act (20 U.S.C. §1092), state and local hate crimes legislation list specific crimes which are 

identifiable as a hate crime, including murder, manslaughter, robbery, aggravated assault, 

burglary, motor vehicle theft, arson, forcible and non-forcible sex offenses, intimidation, 

destruction, damage or vandalism of property, and other crimes involving injury to any person or 

property in which the victim is intentionally selected because of the actual or perceived race, 

gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or disability of the victim. When they do not fall 
into one of the listed criminal categories, hate offenses are referred to as bias-motivated 

incidents. These incidents may include cases of minor harassment, verbal slurs, and be 

precursors to more serious hate motivated violence. 

Background 

On college campuses around the country, the competition can be fierce. As a result, 

students don't always view one another as allies or friends, but sometimes as opponents or 

enemies with whom they must vie for scarce amounts of success, both in and out of the 

classroom. Some students regard their minority classmates as the undeserving recipients of 

financial aid and compensatory programs – what they believe to be special attention and special 

treatment. Similarly, some students of color expect to find a racist behind every obstacle to their 

academic advancement. Moreover, there are some students who resent the challenge posed by a 

growing presence of successful female students and gay students. And some students resent the 

increasing number of Asian-American students on campus – who are all Merit scholarship 

winners in high school, at least according to the stereotype. 

Unfortunately, inter-group conflict can result from the growing diversity among college 

students. Over the past three decades, there have been increasing numbers of women, African 

Americans, Hispanics, Asians, disabled, international students, as well as gays and lesbians on 

campuses around the country. In a situation where everyone appears to have more or less the 

same background – where almost all students are, for example, Caucasian, straight, able-bodied, 

American, male, and Protestant – inter-group conflicts does not become much of an issue. Under 

conditions of increasing cultural diversity, however, the differences between groups become 

salient on an everyday basis. For the first time, many students must learn to deal with classmates 

and roommates who are different. 

For most students, whatever their racial identity, college is the first occasion to have 

extensive contacts with individuals who differ from them in socially significant ways. Because 

of the pervasive racial and ethnic segregation that characterizes many communities, most 

students grow up going to school and residing among only "their own kind." Then, they go off to 

college, where they might meet a broader range of humanity than they have ever encountered. 

Of course, the first few months of college represent a particularly stressful and 

threatening period. It is often the first time away from home and students are in an environment 

where they could fail and be forced to leave. For many students, it is difficult to make friends 

with someone who is different from you when you are terrified of being rejected yourself. Many 

students therefore react to this extremely stressful situation by seeking companions who are very 

much like themselves. 

The process whereby students, fearing rejection, befriend other students with similar 

attitudes and similar previous life experiences can have another, more negative consequence. A 

small number of such students make themselves feel more secure by demeaning or attacking, 

either verbally or physically, those classmates they believe to be inferior by virtue of that group's 

background, race, or creed. The very presence of minority students on a campus may give rise to 

such behavior. 

Case Study: An Effective Response to a Hate Incident 

At a small four-year college in suburban New England, the administration 

decided not to tolerate what many would regard as a minor hate incident or merely a 
"prank," when two female students made an anti-Semitic phone call to Jewish students in 

another residence hall. 

As soon as its administration had confirmed the charges, the college canceled classes 

for the day and held a mandatory session in the campus amphitheater – an all-day anti-hate 

program for all students (including the two offenders), administrators, and instructors. 

Speakers included the college president, a guest expert on prejudice, and a panel of young 

people representing diverse backgrounds who had been victimized by bigotry. In addition, 

students viewed one of several feature-length films dealing with hate and violence (e.g., 

Schindler’s List, American History X). A special committee was formed to create anti-hate 

posters, which its members placed at strategic positions around campus. The entire effort 

was designed to send a message: hate is not "cool" and will not be tolerated on this campus! 

Apparently, it worked. For at least two years, there was not a single hate incident reported 

to the school’s administration. Of course, the small size of the student body (fewer than 500 

students) made possible a plenary session which included everyone on campus. At a college 

or university where thousands of students are enrolled, it might be more difficult, even 

impossible, for everyone on campus to meet together in the same place. Even at a large 

university, however, tactics and strategies can be created to assure that the appropriate 

message is sent to students, faculty, and staff. 

Characteristics of Hate Episodes on Campus 

Hate episodes, including those reaching the level of criminal behavior, can be classified in 

terms of offender motivations into three distinct types identified as reactive, impulsive, and 

premeditated. 

Reactive Hate Episodes 

In reactive hate episodes, the hatemongers seize on what they consider as a triggering 

incident to justify their expression of anger. They rationalize that by attacking someone they regard 

as an outsider they are in fact protecting their college, residence hall, fraternity, or group of friends. 

Indeed, they often cast their victims in the role of those actively threatening them, while they regard 

themselves as pillars of virtue on their campus. 

Moreover, the perpetrators of reactive hate episodes tend to target a particular individual or 

set of individuals who are perceived to constitute a personal threat – the African American student 

who has just moved into a previously all Caucasian dormitory, the Caucasian college student who 

has begun to date her Asian classmate, or the Hispanic professor who introduces her students to a 

Hispanic American perspective. The reactive attack is meant to send a signal not only to the primary 

victim but also to every member of the victim’s group – "you and others from your group do not 

belong on this campus." 

At first, the offense may consist of a relatively minor act – racist graffiti spray-painted on a 

door or ethnic slurs over the telephone. If the early warning is ignored, however, there often is an 

escalation of violence consisting of a direct threat to do bodily harm or an actual assault. 

The perpetrators of reactive attacks on a college campus are usually not associated with any 

organized hate group. Typically, they have no prior history of overt bigotry. Their reaction may 
have a practical basis – they fear losing opportunities for success or advancement. Sometimes the 

perpetrators react instead to a symbolic loss of "turf" or "privilege" – for example, when "our 

women" begin to date "them" or when "they" come onto our campus and begin to "take over." 

Recent research has identified the initial point of integration as a key to understanding hate 

violence. According to a 1997 survey conducted by the Klanwatch Project of the Southern Poverty 

Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama, about half of all racially-inspired acts of vandalism and 

violence are directed at African Americans moving into previously Caucasian neighborhoods. More 

generally, Donald Green and his associates have shown that hate crimes occur most frequently in 

"defended" white neighborhoods – that is, in predominantly Caucasian areas which have experienced 

an in-migration of minorities. 

Given the competitive nature of the workplace, it should come as no surprise that many 

reactive hate episodes also occur on the job. In their study of "ethnoviolence at work," sociologists 

JoanWeiss, HowardEhrlich, andBarbaraLarcom(1991-92)found that 27 percent of allrespondents 

who reported "prejudice-based" episodes experienced them while at work. 

The college campus is, of course, the "workplace" for hundreds of thousands of young 

Americans. Stretching the concept of "defended neighborhood" just a bit, it becomes clear that many 

college students might easily feel a need to protect their job experiences, social activities, educational 

opportunities, dormitories, fraternities, and classrooms from members of the much more diverse 

population with whom they now share their campuses. Thus, reactive hate episodes on campus tend 

to be committed by students residing in the same college community as their victims. 

During recent years, campus hate attacks have apparently become more defensive; that is, 

they are committed by students in response to a particular student or campus event that they feel 

threatened by – Gay Pride Week, the first African American student in a dormitory, hostilities in the 

middle-east, and so on. For example, at a large public university on the West Coast, after an 

unsuccessful attempt by some members of the student government to reduce funding for a 

minority-oriented campus newspaper, two of its Chinese American reporters received threatening 

phone calls. Identifying himself only as a member of the Ku Klux Klan, the caller suggested that 

"something drastic" would happen to them if they did not stop writing for the newspaper. Similarly, 

a first-year Hispanic student at a prestigious EastCoast college found the following anonymous note 

slipped under her dormitory door after she had complained about her test grade: 

Hey S---. If you and your kind can't handle the work here, don't blame it on this racial 

thing. You are just making our school look bad to everyone else. If you can't handle it, why 

don't you just get out. We'd all be a lot happier. 

Impulsive Hate Episodes 

Impulsive hate offenses are committed by perpetrators who are looking for excitement. In 

the same way thatsome youngmen get together on a Saturday night to play a game of cards, youthful 

hatemongers gather to shout threats and obscenities, destroy property or to assault someone who is 

different. They look merely to have some fun and stir up a little excitement . . . but at someone else's 

expense. 

In an impulsive thrill-seeking hate episode, there need not be a precipitating incident. The 

victim does not necessarily "invade" the territory of the assailant by walking across his campus or 

attending classes. On the contrary, it is the assailant or group of assailants, looking to harass those 
who are different, who searches out locations where the members of a particular group regularly 

congregate. The payoff for the perpetrators is psychological as well as social: In addition to gaining 

a sense of importance and control, the youthful perpetrators also receive a stamp of approval from 

their friends who regard hatred as "hip" or "cool"(Levin and McDevitt, 1993). 

In an impulsive thrill-motivated hate episodes, a group of young people typically travels to 

another area to find victims. Thus, thrill-seekers might travel to a gay bar in the local community 

or target students at another college as something to do for fun when they are bored on a Saturday 

night. 

It is also possible, of course, for thrill-seekers to focus on their own schoolmates. Just for 

the "kicks," several sorority members at a university located in the mid-west dressed in Indian 

costumes and parodied "Indian hollers" outside the Native American Center on campus. 

Impulsive hate episodessatisfy the offenders’ profound psychological need to feel important 

and gain a sense of belonging. Therefore, almost any member of a vulnerable group will usually 

"do" as a target. For example, if impulsive thrill-seekers fail to locate someone gay, they might 

easily decide to victimize someone who is African American or Hispanic. If they can’t find someone 

African American or Hispanic, they might instead target someone who is Jewish or Asian. 

Impulsive offenses tend to be finite in time and space. Inspired by some combination of 

boredom, hate, and sense of impotence, the offenders set out to have some fun at the expense of their 

"enemy." Additionally, the use of alcohol and/or drugs frequently become a factor in this type of 

behavior. Similarly, reactive hate episodes are generally aimed against particular "outsiders" – those 

who are regarded as posing affront to a perpetrator's campus. As in impulsive thrill-seeking 

episodes, the defensive attack tends to be narrowly focused and of limited duration. Once the threat 

is perceived to subside, so does the criminal behavior. 

Premeditated Hate Episodes 

On occasion, however, hate occurrences go beyond what their perpetrators considerreaction, 

at least in the narrow sense. Rather than direct their attack at those individuals involved in a 

particular event or episode – moving into a residence hall, taking a seat at the next desk in a 

classroom, attending the same party – the perpetrators are ready to wage "war" against any and all 

members of a particular group of people. No precipitating episode occurs; none is necessary. The 

perpetrator is on a moral mission: The assignment is to make the world a better place to live for the 

perpetrator and his or her friends. 

Those who perpetrate a premeditated hate episode are convinced that all out-group members 

are sub-humans who are bent on destroying our culture, our economy, or the purity of our racial 

heritage. The offender therefore is concerned about much more than simply eliminating a few 

African Americans or Hispanics from his college or university. Instead, he believes that he has a 

higher-order purpose in carrying out his crime. He has been instructed by God or, in a more secular 

version, by the Imperial Wizard or the Grand Dragon to rid the world of evil by eliminating all 

African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, or Jews; and he is compelled to act before it is too late. 

Premeditated mission hate offenders are likely to join an organized group such as the KKK, World 

Church of the Creator, or the White Aryan Resistance. The mission motivation is likely to result in 

the commission of a vicious, even deadly, hate crime. 

In July 1999, Benjamin Smith, a former student at Indiana University, went on a shooting 

spree across Illinois and Indiana. Along the way, he shot and killed an African American man who 

was a former Northwestern University basketball coach; he murdered a Korean graduate student at 
Indiana University; and he also wounded eight additional people including six orthodox Jews and 

two Asian Americans. Twenty-one year old Smith was a member of the World Church of the 

Creator, a white supremacist group based in East Peoria, Illinois, whose leader Matthew Hale 

preaches that Jews are parasites who control the finances, propaganda, media, and governments of 

the world, and that African Americans and Asians are inferior to Caucasians. The battle cry of the 

group is “RaHoWa” meaning racial holy war. 

A few perpetrators of premeditated hate crimes operate alone, typically suffering from a 

profound mental illness which may cause hallucinations, impaired ability to reason, and withdrawal 

from contact with other people. This type of hatemonger intends to get even for the horrific 

problems that he has suffered. In his paranoid and delusional way of thinking, he sees a conspiracy 

of some kind for which he seeks revenge. His mission is in part suicidal. Before taking his own life, 

however, he attempts to eliminate the entire category of people he is absolutely convinced is 

responsible for his personal frustrations. There are rare cases in which a depressed and frustrated 

gunman has opened fire with the objective of eliminating all women, Asians, or Caucasian racists 

(See Fox and Levin, 1994). In 1989, for example, Marc LePine, after being rejected from the 

University of Montreal’s School of Engineering, first executed 14 female students there and then 

took his own life. The young killer blamed "feminists" for all of his personal problems. 

Increasingly, members of organized hate groups have targeted college campuses as a source 

of potential new members. For most students, such blatantly bigoted individuals and their 

organizations are dismissed almost immediately. Unfortunately, however, there are at least a few 

students who have been effectively persuaded that their personal problems are the result of the 

actions of a particular group. With the desire to maintain a free exchange of all ideas, many campus 

representatives have experienced a degree of frustration in arriving at the best way to handle these 

episodes when they occur. 

Campus Conflict Resolution Services by CRS 

CRS responds to provide conflict resolution and reconciliation services when requested by 

school officials, faculty, students and law enforcement. Once alerted to potential tensions arising 

fromracial, ethnic or national origin conflicts(jurisdictional mandate) on a school campus,CRS will 

conduct an assessment to determine if it can provide assistance to resolve the issues in the school 

community. Without the cooperation of the school and its community of students, faculty, law 

enforcement, and administration, the process of conflict resolution cannot be initiated. 

If all concerned parties are willing to work together to resolve their differences, CRS begins 

the process with discussions about the existing issues, and the history of race relations on campus. 

The CRS intervention process will be developed with the participation of all concerned parties on 

how the issues will be addressed, the selection of representatives, discussion guidelines, and goals. 

These problem solving sessions create lines of communication and partnerships between students 

and the administration which can become institutionalized. 

CRS has been highlysuccessful in resolving campus racial issues, all with outcomes designed 

by the interested parties not the mediator. The work of CRS mediators includes gaining the 

confidence ofthe participants and facilitating discussion about hate, which is kept confidential unless 

waived by the parties. Examples of outcomes mediated by CRS include: cultural diversity and 

anti-biastraining forfaculty and students, technical assistance in developing policy positions on hate 

crimes, development of multi-cultural student centers, student peer group disciplinary panels, college 
publication guidelines, law enforcement response policies, and victim assistance to hate crime 

victims. 

Case-Study - Hate E-mail at the University of Oregon 

Campus episodes can frequently benefit from introducing the perspective and experience of 

an outside and impartial agency. The Community Relations Service has provided this 

service to colleges and universities around the country. In May 1999, the University of 

Oregon experienced racial tensions in the wake of media reports of hate inspired e-mail 

between students and comments perceived to be racist in classroom debates. Consequently, 

a campus protest, organized by students of color, resulted in the arrest of 31 students who 

refused to leave the University administration building after eight hours. The Community 

Relations Service was contacted and conciliators were then asked to mediate relations 

between concerned students and the University President. In addition, CRS was available 

to offerits conciliation assitance to defuse the escalation of tensions and possible retaliation. 

As a neutral outside agency, the CRS was able to assist in resolving at an informal level a 

situation that might easily have escalated into a full-blown campus crisis. 

Universities should have a hate crime policy and procedural administration and law 

enforcement protocol in place to assist campus administrators and law enforcement authorities to 

react promptly and seriously to all hate motivated episodes. 

Prevention policies require that colleges and universities take all episodes seriously. 

Offenders look for the reaction of the community. If their hate attack is ignored, they might easily 

conclude that other members of the college community are in sympathy with their bigoted ideology. 

Quick responses to hate crimes by the administration is crucial. 

The prevention of hate crimes on college campuses requires an integrated approach that 

begins when a student arrives on campus and extends to include all members of the campus 

community; students, faculty, staff, campus law enforcement and the administration. Many colleges 

have already implemented orientation programs which specifically deal with the diversity new 

students will encounter on the campus as well as facilitated discussions (often led by upper-class 

students) dealing with the prevention of racial and cultural conflicts. Follow-up programs during 

the school year assist in reinforcing the administration’s policy and position against hate crimes and 

bias-related incidents. 

In addition to broad-based prevention programs, each college should have a policy in place 

specifying how campus authorities should react if a hate crime occurs on their campus. This hate 

crime response policy should acknowledge that each hate crime has many victims, not only the 

targeted individuals but other members of that group. This policy should first offer medical attention 

(if necessary), protection and counseling to the targeted individuals and at the same time deal with 

the fears and concerns of the entire campus community. The key to any successful campus hate 

crime policy involves communication to the broadest possible audience in the most timely fashion. 

Frequently, the participation of an uninvolved third party can immediately serve to reduce 

tensions. The Community Relations Service (CRS) of the U.S. Department of Justice offers both 

emergency assistance as well as on-going technical assistance to campuses experiencing biasrelated 

tension. This assistance is provided by CRS staff who come to their assignment with substantial 
experience dealing with the fears and anxiety associated with bias-motivated violence. The 

University of Michigan policy highlighted below details such a campus wide approach. 

Model Crime Prevention Policy- University of Michigan 

"Hate crimes are viewed in the community not only as crimes against the targeted 

victim, but also as a crime against the victim’s group as a whole. Working constructively 

with segments of this larger audience after such episodes is essential to help reduce fears 

that stem from possible retaliation, help prevent additional incidents and encourage any 

other previously victimized individuals to step forward and report those crimes. Towards 

this end, this department’s community relations function, or officers so assigned, shall: 

• Meet with neighborhood groups, residents in target communities and other 

identified groups to ally fears, relay this department’s concern over and 

response to this and related incidents, reduce the potential for 

counter-violence and provide safety, security and crime prevention 

information. 

• Provide direct and referral assistance to the victim and his family. 

• Conduct public meetings on hate threats and violence in general, and as it 

relates to specific incidents. 

• Establish a liaison with formal organizations and leaders 

• Expand, where appropriate, existing preventative programs such as anti-hate 

seminars for school children." 

Reporting 

Numerous hate crimes and bias motivated incidents occur on college and university 

campuses without ever being officially reported by the victim. In some cases, victims of hate 

episodes do not report because "they want to put the incident behind them." However, many 

other victims simply are not aware of, or do not have access to, the proper resources which can 

offer assistance in an episode of hate. In addition, cultural elements, such as language 

differences, and a distrust of law enforcement are also barriers to the reporting of hate episodes 

on campus. 

In order to increase the reporting of hate crimes and bias motivated incidents by victims, 

colleges should establish procedures to make reporting as easy as possible, including the 

possibility of accepting confidential reports. Confidentiality provisions, such as anonymous 

reporting, are extremely helpful in many cases. For example, a student who is targeted because 

of perceived sexual orientation may not want to be identified because she has not yet "come out" 

to her friends and family. Some universities offer e-mail reporting, which has been instrumental 

in allowing those who are not entirely fluent English speakers an opportunity to express their 

experiences in written form. Most universities have also provided a number of different offices 

with the responsibility and resources to accept hate crime reports, i.e. the Dean of Students and 

the Affirmative Action officer. This has been helpful because students, who have not yet 

established ties with campus law enforcement, may have already developed a relationship of trust 

and confidence with officials elsewhere on campus. 

Reporting may also be increased when campus police officers represent the diversity of 

the student body. Students of color, especially on campuses located in predominantly African 
American or Hispanic neighborhoods, often complain that they are treated with suspicion by 

representatives of the campus police. In addition, the situation of Caucasian police officers 

confronting a student of color may be perceived as biased, even if it is not. Overall, increasing 

the diversity of the campus police force, as implemented in many local police agencies across the 

country, increases its credibility of campus police with students who might otherwise be reluctant 

to report a hate incident. 

One additional element which has proven successful at most universities is to provide 

victims, in response to an act of hate, with the choice of pressing charges or taking some other 

action. Alternatives may include school sponsored discussion groups, hate crimes training, and 

outreach programs. The presence of an alternative tends to alleviate some of the pressures that 

are perceived to come along with the reporting of a crime, and results in increased campus 

dialogue and reporting of hate occurrences. 

Some, but not all, campus law enforcement agencies are reluctant to get involved in cases 

where the victim wants to remain anonymous. It is important to note that many campus law 

enforcement agencies do take anonymous reports which assists the victim in dealing with the 

aftermath of an incident, allows the agency to offer protection to a member of the community 

who may be enduring some level of continued harassment, and most importantly sends a 

message to the entire university community that bias motivated acts of violence will not be 

tolerated. 

Model Reporting Procedure - University of California, 

Berkeley 

Upon receipt of a reported Hate Motivated Crime or Incident, the Public Safety Dispatcher 

will: 

1) Notify the Division Commander immediately if on-duty 

2) Dispatch a field unit as soon as reasonably practical, based on the nature of 

the call 

3) Notify the Patrol Sergeant of the reported incident 

When a Patrol Officer responds to a reported Hate Motivated Crime or Incident, the Officer 

will: 

1) Apprehend the perpetrator(s) if applicable 

2) Request that a Patrol Supervisor respond to the scene 

3) Render assistance and comfort to the victim 

4) Conduct a thorough preliminary investigation consistent with Department 

Policies and Procedures, including evidence collection and photographs 

when applicable 

5) Provide assistance to the victim and/or referral to the appropriate legal or 

service agency 

6) Provide relevant forms to the victim, i.e. "Victims of Violent Crimes" form 

The Patrol Supervisor, upon being notified of a possible Hate Motivated Crime or Incident, 

will: 

1) Respond to the scene, interview the Patrol Officer, and confirm whether or 
not a Hate Motivated Crime or Incident has occurred 

2) Take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that the situation does not 

escalate 

3) Render assistance and comfort to the victim 

4) Supervise the preliminary investigation 

5) The Supervisor will notify the Patrol Captain (if on-duty) or On-Call 

Captain, as appropriate 

6) The Supervisor will notify the on-duty or on-call investigators, as 

appropriate 

7) The Supervisor will see that a Patrol Incident Form is filed in addition to a 

police report 

The investigator of the Criminal Investigations Bureau will: 

1) Conduct a thorough follow-up investigation consistent with Department 

Policy and procedure including personal contact with victim(s) 

2) Keep the Captain informed of the progress of the investigation 

3) Prepare the case for prosecution in court 

Case wrap-up will include: 

1) A member of the Senior Staff to be designated to serve as the liaison 

between the Department and community, religious, and civic leaders, as 

appropriate 

2) The Investigative and Support Service will ensure all necessary follow-up 

investigations are completed and shall brief the Chief regularly on the 

status of the investigations. He/she will also ensure that all Hate Motivated 

Crime or Incident statistics are reported in accordance with state and 

federal law" 

Important Questions During Initial Investigation - Stanford 

University 

"Did the crime occur all or in part because of racial, ethnic, religious, gender, disability, 

or sexual differences between the persons or for other reasons? 

Has the victim or victim’s group been subjected to repeated attacks of a similar nature? 

Is the victim the only minority group member in the neighborhood, or one of a few? 

Did the victim recently move into the area: is the victim acquainted with neighbors an/or 

local community groups? 

When multiple incidents occur at the same time, are all victims of the same race, ethnicity, 

religion, gender, disability or sexual orientation? 
Has the victim been associated with recent or past activities relating to his/her race, 

ethnicity, religion, gender, disability or sexual orientation? (i.e. gay rallies, 

demonstrations, holiday celebrations, conferences, religious meetings, etc.) 

Did the incident occur on a holiday or other day of significance to the victim’s group or 

offender’s group? 

Has there been prior/recent news coverage of events of a similar nature? 

What was the manner and means of account: i.e. the color of paint initiated or contributed 

to the act, could the act be retribution of some conflict with neighbors, juveniles, etc.? 

Is there an ongoing neighborhood problem that may have initiated or contributed to the 

act (i.e. could the act be retribution for some conflict with neighbors, juveniles, etc.)? 

Does the crime indicate possible involvement by an organized group? For example: Is the 

literature printed? 

Does the name signify a "copy-cat" syndrome? Is there documented or suspected 

organized group activity in the area? 

Are there other possible motivations for the attack?" 

Resolution 

There are very integral and distinct aspects of a campus-wide response system in the event 

of a hate crime or bias motivated incident. However, the notion of a "team approach" should set 

the foundation for all university efforts. Successful practices of some universities include the 

following procedures. 

After the initial reporting takes place, the ability of the response teams to ensure the rapid 

and accurate collection of data and evidence has been key to the investigation and resolution of 

many cases. By taking immediate action on hate occurrences, the entire campus becomes aware 

of the severity of such acts and the university’s intolerance for them. For example, if hateful 

graffiti is found on a college campus, it is in the best interest of the university to collect all 

evidence at the scene, including photographs, and then promptly clean up the damage to prevent 

any further hateful activity or retaliation. In a number of campus hate crimes, the existence of 

accurate evidence collected at the scene has been crucial in the ultimate prosecution of the 

purveyors of hate crimes and bias motivated incidents. The collection of photographs and the use 

of video cameras and voice recordings, have proven effective in identifying hate crime 

perpetrators. 

At many institutions it has been useful to designate one member of the campus law 

enforcement staff to handle hateful activity. This responsibility is primarily given to someone 

who has been adequately trained in the area of hate crimes and bias motivated incidents and 

understands the importance of confidentiality, sensitivity and victim assistance. While this 
designated officer may have many additional responsibilities, having one officer who identifies 

hate crime activity as her/his responsibility reduces the likelihood that incidents will be ignored or 

that the response will fall short by the campus response policy. 

Victim Assistance Resources 

Victim assistance is one of the most important aspects of any hate crime and bias 

motivated incident response policy. Support should be made available to all victims of an 

incident whether they were directly of indirectly involved. Victims of hate occurrences need to be 

assessed both physically and emotionally. As hateful activity can tarnish an entire community, the 

victim’s family and surrounding neighborhood should also be included in the healing process. In 

first approaching a hate crime or bias motivated incident, it is important to understand that 

although an occurrence may appear to be minor, the long term emotional impact upon the victim 

and the campus community may be immense. 

While there is a variety of resources for victims of hate crimes and bias motivated 

incidents, some particularly helpful organizations that may be found on-campus include 

counseling centers, campus law enforcement, health services, cultural diversity advocacy groups, 

student groups, academic advisors, affirmative action offices, employee assistance programs, 

faculty and friends. Off-campus resources may include local law enforcement, +, religious groups 

and institutions/churches, domestic violence shelters, state and county bar associations, the U.S. 

Department of Justice, and in particular the Community Relations Service, U.S. Attorney Hate 

Crime Working Groups, and civic groups such as the Anti-Defamation League, or the NAACP. 

In some cases an external group with experience dealing with these kind of cases, such as CRS, 

may be particularly effective because it is not part of any ongoing campus conflict that may 

surface in the aftermath of a hate motivated incident. 

Victim Assistance Guidelines 

Victims of hate crimes often experience feelings of shame, anger, fear, frustration and 

confusion. In helping the victim and surrounding community deal with the aftermath of a hate 

occurrence remember the following three points: 

• Conduct a physical evaluation performed by medical physicians. 

• Conduct an emotional evaluation performed by counseling services. 

• Offer peer, community and university support resources. 

Small v. Large Institutions of Higher Learning 

The response capabilities of institutions vary primarily because the resources available to 

assist victims and investigate crime also vary widely. Large institutions tend to have more substantial 

resources than smaller institutions, and are, thus, more capable to respond to hate crimes and bias 

motivated incidents with less external support. However, even though resources for small universities 

may be limited, there are still pro-active measures that can be taken to ensure adequate response to 

hate crimes in any college setting. Among these are the formation of hate-related policies, student 

awareness and training in rapid response to hate incidents, cooperation agreements with local law 

enforcement, and similar agreements with victim support agencies located in the community. Hate 
crime victims experience similar reactions and have similar needs for support regardless of the size 

of the campus. 

Special Considerations 

College communities are increasinglylarge diverse communities that include individuals with 

many different ideologies and experiences. Occasionally, campus staff members may fail to 

adequately implement the colleges’ hate crime response policy. To prevent such failures, it is 

imperative that the universityleaders, including the university president, have a strong public position 

in support of the university’s hate crime response policy. Such action by those in leadership 

positions, demonstrates a commitment to preventing and resolving racial conflict and promoting a 

more racially harmonious campus environment. 

The reluctance of many universitiesto take disciplinary action against the perpetrators of hate 

offenses poses another obstacle. Often, the lengthy investigation of hate crimes or bias-motivated 

incidents can deter the institutions from taking a timely disciplinary stance. Once the perpetrators are 

identified, there are frequently varying degrees of participation and culpability among the students. 

Determining appropriate punishment for each of those involved can take substantial time. These 

delays may cause resentment to build and tensions to rise from victimized students and groups against 

campus administrators. In order to avoid such occasions, universities have emphasized the 

importance of timely and sensitive investigations, which result in appropriate disciplinary actions 

without undue delay. 

International students also offer a different series of challenges to an effective campus hate 

crime response policy. Many foreign students may not be aware of their legal rights as a visiting 

student in the United States, leaving them reluctant to report any harassment or other criminal actions 

directed at them. Based on experiences in their native countries, some international students carry 

with them the fear of and animosity towards all law enforcement. In order to relieve some of these 

issues, many universities include staff from the International Students Office in their hate crime 

response team and have trained the International Students Office Staff to respond to a hate crime or 

bias-motivated incidents that may come to their attention. This has proven to be effective because 

of relationships that have been developed between the foreign students and the university’s 

administration. 

Media Relations 

Dealing with the media in times of racial tension on campus is quite complex. Many college 

officials would prefer to keep these episodes "quiet" to protect others who might feel intimidated if 

they became aware of the episode, or to prevent a tarnishing of the institution’s reputation. This 

course of action is seldom successful and can often make the situation worse. Rumors – often full 

of misinformation – will circulate across the campus after an incident and may cause some students 

to feel that if the university is not going to do anything, they should take matters into their own hands. 

A media policy that allows the university to provide accurate and timely information about the 

episode to the community should be an integral part of any campus response policy. 

A key aspect of maintaining good relations with the pressisthe establishment of relationships 

with campus and off-campus reporters and editors before an episode occurs. This will facilitate 

communication and the factual reporting of episodes during the stressful atmosphere that often 

follows a campus hate crime. If the media are aware of the campus response policy and feel that the 
university will provide information to them once it is verified, they will be more likely to act in a 

supportive and responsible manner. While most universities agree that one university representative 

should be designated to speak with the press in order to minimize confusion, some universities have 

also found it helpful to incorporate students and local community representatives into their media 

relations’ policy. 

Long-term Impacts 

Hate crimes are among the most likely offenses to create or exacerbate tensions, which can 

triggerlarger community-wide racial conflict, civil disturbances, demonstrations and even riots. Hate 

crimes can have a particularly detrimental effect upon college and university campuses. The 

negativity that comes with such hate motivated occurrences can impact the reputation of educational 

institutions, encouraging prospective students and faculty to look elsewhere. Ultimately, the diversity 

levels of universities which have experienced hate, may decline both within their student and faculty 

populations. 

Hate crimes and bias-motivated incidents are also damaging to the campus environment where 

the free and open exchange of ideas is essential. If students fear retaliation for comments they make 

in class or in casual conversation, the richness of the academic experience is significantly reduced. 

Campus administrators must create an atmosphere where all ideas and perspectives are respected and 

intellectual disagreements do not result in violence. 

Similarly, college campuses are part of the broader community in which they are located. 

Hate crimes committed on campus, or near campus, strain the relationship between the college and 

the local community. Local residents fear that a rise in racial tension may cause their community to 

be labeled as intolerant and, thus, at-risk for serious social and economic consequences. Students may 

become afraid to interact with community neighbors fearing that they may become targets. To 

combat the negativity that may come about as a result of such hate occurrences, some communities 

have found themselves uniting with their local colleges and universities to fight the battle against 

intolerance. Many neighborhoods have formed support groups and networks that participate as part 

of the college response system and have contributed to the healing of entire communities after 

encountering a hate occurrence. 
National Civil Rights Organizations 

With Hate Crime Resources, partial listing 

Anti-Defamation League 

823 United Nations Plaza 

New York, NY 10017 

(212) 490-2525 

www.adl.org 

Human Rights Campaign 

919 18th St. NW #800 

Washington, DC 20005 

(202) 628-4160 

www.hrc.org 

Leadership Conference on Civil Rights 

1629 K St., NW #1010 

Washington, DC 20006 

(202) 466-3311 

www.civilrights.org 

NAACP 

National Headquarters 

Legal Department 

4805 Mt. Hope Drive 

Baltimore, MD 21215 

(410) 358-8900 

www.naacp.org 

National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium 

1140 Connecticut Ave, NW #1200 

Washington, DC 20036 

(202) 296-2300 

www.napalc.org 

National Council of La Raza 

1111 19th St. NW #1000 

Washington, DC 20036 

(202) 785-1670 

www.nclr.org 

NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund 

1522 K St., NW #550 

Washington, DC 20002 

(202) 326-0040 

www.nowldef.org 
CRS OFFICES 

Community Relations Service 

600 E Street, NW, Suite 6000 

Washington, D.C. 20530 

202/305-2935 202/305-3009 (FAX) 

Regional Offices

New England Regional Office 

(ME, VT, NH, MA, CT, RI) 

Community Relations Service 

408 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 222

Boston, MA 02110

617/424-5715 617/424-5727 (FAX)

Northeast Regional Office 

(NY, NJ, VI, PR) 

Community Relations Service

26 Federal Plaza, Suite 36-118

New York, NY 10278

212/264-0700 212/264-2143 (FAX)

Mid-Atlantic Regional Office 

( DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV) 

Community Relations Service 

2nd and Chestnut Streets, Suite 208 

Philadelphia, PA 19106 

215/597-2344 215/597-9148 (FAX) 

Southeast Regional Office 

(AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN) 

Community Relations Service

75 Piedmont Ave, NE, Suite 900

Atlanta, GA 30303

404/331-6883 404/331-4471 (FAX)

Midwest Regional Office

(IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI)

Community Relations Service

55 W. Monroe Street, Suite 420

Chicago. IL 60603

312/353-4391 312/353-4390 (FAX)

Southwest Regional Office 

(AR, LA, NM, OK, TX) 

Community Relations Service

1420 W. Mockingbird Lane, Suite 250

Dallas, TX 75247

214/655-8175 214/655-8184 (FAX)
Central Regional Office 

(IA, KS, MO, NE) 

Community Relations Service 

1100 Main Street, Suite 320 

Kansas City, MO 64105-2112 

816/426-7434 816/426-7441 (FAX) 

Rocky Mountain Regional Office 

(CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY) 

Community Relations Service

1244 Speer Blvd., Suite 650

Denver, CO 80204-3584

303/844-2973 303/844-2907 (FAX)

Western Regional Office 

(AZ, CA, GU, HI, NV) 

Community Relations Service

888 S. Figueroa Street, Suite 1880

Los Angeles, CA 90017

213/894-2941 213/894-2880 (FAX)

Northwest Regional Office 

(AK, ID, OR, WA) 

Community Relations Service 

915 Second Avenue, Suite 1808 

Seattle, WA 98174 

206/220-6700 206/220-6706 (FAX) 

Field Offices 

Community Relations Service

51 SW First Ave, Suite 624

Miami, FL 33130

305/536-5206 305/536-6778 (FAX)

Community Relations Service

211 W. Fort Street, Suite 1404

Detroit, MI 48226

313/226-4010 313/226-2568 (FAX)

Community Relations Service

515 Rusk Avenue, Suite 12605

Houston, TX 77002

713/718-4861 713/718-4862 (FAX)

Community Relations Service

120 Howard Street, Suite 790

San Francisco, CA 94105

415/744-6565 415/744-6590 (FAX)
Customer Service Standards - Community Relations Service 

Our goal is to provide sensitive and effective conflict prevention and resolution services. CRS will 

meet the following standards: 

We will clearly explain the process that CRS uses to address racial and ethnic conflicts and 

our role in that process. 

We will provide opportunities for all parties involved to contribute to and work toward a 

solution to the racial or ethnic conflict. 

If you are a participant in a CRS training session or conference, you will receive timely and 

useful information and materials that will assist you in preventing or minimizing racial and 

ethnic tensions. 

We will be prepared to respond to major racial or ethnic crisis situations within 24 hours 

from the time when your community notifies CRS or CRS becomes aware of the crisis. 

In non-crisis situations we will contact you to discuss our services within three days of when 

your campus notifies CRS or when CRS becomes aware of a related situation. 

www.usdoj.gov/crs