Law enforcement agencies are getting increasingly sensitive that certain crimes are hate motivated. The attorney general's office is constantly working with local agencies, training them on how to spot hate crimes, how to be more helpful to victims of hate crimes and how to do a more thorough job of reporting to the state. |
Our report can only reflect the numbers provided to the state. There are larger communities that reported fewer than some smaller communities. |
Really, all you can do is look at a given community and compare it from year to year. |
Some agencies do a more vigorous job than others of reporting it, but that's really up to local policy. |
The best way for hate crimes to continue to flourish is for nobody to pay them any attention. This report shines a light on the subject, and public awareness within the law-enforcement community is the best tool to getting people to change the way they think about these things. |
We're going to have to take a careful look at the judge's ruling and consult with the department before making a decision about what the next step will be. |