Hate Crime
According to FBI statistics, hate crime incidents have become more frequent and more violent in recent years. The categories most often involved are race/ethnicity/ancestry (59.1%), LGBTQ+ (21.2%), and religion (17.3%). When an act is a crime, it is an offense against the entire community, not just the people directly involved. A hate crime magnifies the harm: the community is hurt not only by the underlying offense, but also by the hateful message the offense sends, and the fear and intimidation it causes. The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office is committed to working with its partners in local, state and federal law enforcement to combat hate crime.
Primary jurisdiction over most criminal matters in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, including hate crimes, lies with local police departments and county district attorneys. The Attorney General’s Civil Rights Enforcement Section has the authority to seek civil injunctions in appropriate cases. Federal law also provides powerful enforcement tools to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Department of Justice.
What Should You Do If Subjected to Hate?
If it is an emergency, call 9-1-1. If it is not an emergency, you should report a potential hate crime to the local police department nearest you. You should also report hate crimes to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In consultation with local district attorneys, the Office of Attorney General may obtain civil injunctions or other equitable relief against continuing acts of ethnic intimidation.
Ethnic Intimidation: In Pennsylvania, what is commonly referred to as “hate crime” is covered in Pennsylvania’s Crimes Code as Ethnic Intimidation (18 P.S. § 2710). The crime of Ethnic Intimidation occurs when a person commits other certain crimes and is motivated in whole or in part by hatred toward the race, color, religion, or national origin of another person or group.
For example, the offense of Ethnic Intimidation may be charged when certain underlying offenses are also charged – such as criminal mischief, assault, harassment, terroristic threats, stalking, and homicide – and the underlying offense was in whole or in part motivated by race, color, religion, or national origin.
Institutional Vandalism: The Crimes Code, at 18 P.S. § 3307, makes it a crime to knowingly deface a religious facility (e.g., church, synagogue, mosque, etc.), burial facility (e.g., cemetery), a school, community center, state or local government building, or any personal property in any of these facilities.
Several federal laws, enforced by the FBI and Department of Justice, prohibit hate crime and cover not only the hate crime categories covered by Pennsylvania law – race, color, religion, and national origin – but also gender, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability.
Nothing on this page should be construed as legal advice.