Federal Legislation Providing Resources For Law Enforcement To Combat Hate Violence Introduced In House
WASHINGTON — Last night, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes PreventionAct, a critical piece of legislation providing local police and sheriff’s departments with federal resources to combat hate violence, was introduced in the U.S House of Representatives. The Human Rights Campaign hailed the bill’s introduction and joined with more than 210 law enforcement, civil rights, civic and religious organizations actively supporting its passage.
The bipartisan Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act was introduced by Reps. John Conyers, D-Mich., and Mark Kirk, R-Ill., along with more than 100 other members of Congress. The Senate is expected to introduce a bipartisan companion bill next month.
“Each year, thousands of Americans are violently attacked just because they are black, female, Christian or gay. These crimes not only harm individuals, but they terrorize entire communities. It’s the responsibility of our government to protect all Americans. After more than a decade of delay, it’s time for Congress to provide local police and sheriffs’ departments with the tools and resources they need to put away society’s most vicious criminals,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.
Because there is no federal law mandating states and municipalities to report hate crimes, they are often underreported. However, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s own statistics, based on voluntary reporting, show that since 1991, more than 100,000 hate crime offenses have been reported to the FBI, with 7,163 reported in 2005, the FBI’s most recent reporting period. Violent crimes based on sexual orientation constituted 14.2 percent of all hate crimes in 2005, with 1,017 reported for the year.
The LLEHCPA gives the Justice Department the power to investigate and prosecute bias-motivated violence where the perpetrator has selected the victim because of the person's actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. It provides the Justice Department with the ability to aid state and local jurisdictions either by lending assistance or, where local authorities are unwilling or unable, by taking the lead in investigations and prosecutions of violent crimes resulting in death or serious bodily injury that were motivated by bias. It also makes grants available to state and local communities to combat violent crimes committed by juveniles, train law enforcement officers or assist in state and local investigations and prosecution of bias-motivated crimes.
A wide coalition of national organizations has called for the passage of the LLEHCPA legislation. Some of those supporting this legislation include: the National Sheriffs Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, 31 state attorneys general and the National District Attorneys Association.
Both the Senate and House have voted in favor of legislation to combat bias-motivated violence in the prior Congresses. Most recently in the 109th Congress, the House of Representative approved its hate crimes bill as an amendment on a bipartisan vote of 223 to 199. House and Senate votes were held in the 106th and 108th Congresses as well. In the 108th Congress, the Senate passed the measure by an overwhelming vote of 65-33, with 18 Senate Republicans voting yes, and the House approved it on a bipartisan vote of 213-186, with 31 Republicans voting yes.
Take action to support the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
View the complete list of more than 210 organizations supporting the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against GLBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.