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Tilted Cat Head
Administrator
Location: Manhattan, NY
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from the nyc.gov website
Quote:
nyc.gov
WHAT IS A HATE CRIME?
A hate or bias crime is an unlawful act committed against a person, group or place that is motivated by hate or bias.
To be more specific, the NYPD uses the following guideline: A hate crime is any offense or unlawful act that is motivated in whole or part by a person's, a group's or a place's identification with a particular race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, gender or age.
Hate crimes go far beyond the criminal act itself. Having your property damaged by someone is bad enough, but having your property damaged because of who you are or what you believe in compounds the criminal act and leaves the victim with a sense of being personally violated.
All hate crimes are serious incidents and are treated as such by the police department. Crimes motivated by hate are vigorously investigated and prosecuted in New York City.
Freedom of Speech vs. Hate Crime
Freedom of speech is protected by the federal Constitution. Anyone has the right to express their likes, dislikes and opinions, no matter how offensive it may be to others.
This freedom of expression, however, can cause some confusion as to where free speech ends and hate crime begins. Although the line may appear to be blurred, it boils down to this: Offensive or hateful speech is still just speech and is protected. However, a hate or bias crime is a criminal act that is motivated by hate.
In addition to the criminal charges and penalties a perpetrator must face for the "crime" element of a hate crime, the law allows for additional charges and penalties for the "hate" element as well. For example, a person who is arrested for graffiti is charged with the crime of graffiti. If the graffiti also contains racial slurs directed at someone, the offender is also charged with aggravated harassment.
How do you report a Hate Crime?
You report a hate crime in the same manner as you would report any other crime. If it is a crime in progress, call 911. Be sure to give the location and a description of the perpetrators if possible. If the crime occurred in the past, call the local precinct. Responding police officers will provide whatever immediate assistance is needed and start the reporting process. If the situation is deemed to be a possible bias incident, the Hate Crimes Task Force will be notified.
What is the Hate Crimes Task Force?
The Hate Crimes Task Force is a team of investigators with citywide jurisdiction dedicated to investigating all hate crimes and bias related incidents. This specialized unit reports directly to the Chief of Detectives.
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__________________
I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not.
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