The federal government will have authority to help state and local law enforcement investigate and prosecute hate crimes under The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act, a bill introduced today by Congressman Neil Abercrombie and a bipartisan group of Senators and Representatives.
Hate crimes are especially dehumanizing.
They send a message of hatred and intimidation not only to the individual victim, but also to every member of the targeted group and the community at large. These crimes call for an extra measure of commitment of our law enforcement resources, and that s what our bill is designed to accomplish. It s very encouraging to have the support of members of both parties in this effort. Approximately 50,000 hate crimes have been reported nationwide over the past five years. Current law limits federal jurisdiction over hate crimes to federally protected activities like voting.