At least Washington is focusing on an actual problem.
As the state prepares to launch a hotline for the reporting of suspected hate crimes, it joins the latest trend in public outreach by governments. The fact that a hotline for hate crimes is deemed necessary is disconcerting. So is the fact that Clark County is one of three counties selected for a pilot launch of the program next year.
But with racial and ethnic enmity growing throughout the nation, firm action is needed. Leaders at all levels of government must make clear that they are paying attention to the issue and must show no tolerance of bigotry.
As Clark County Council Chair Gary Medvigy said: “Fundamental human rights and mutual respect are the hallmarks for Clark County residents, but when hate surfaces, having a hotline to report it and find help will be a great additional resource.”
This year, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 5427 to establish the hotline for the sharing of information and to connect possible victims with services. All Southwest Washington Democrats voted in favor and all Republicans voted against in what was mostly a party-line vote.
This week, the office of Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced that Clark County — along with King and Spokane counties — will be a test area for the launch of the program next year. It is expected to be available statewide in 2027.
Ferguson said: “This pilot will set the foundation for a first-of-its-kind centralized, statewide resource for Washingtonians to report hate crimes and bias incidents. The hotline will help victims of hate crimes and bias incidents find culturally appropriate resources and support. We must all work together to combat hate and stand up for individuals and communities who are harmed.”
In that regard, Washington’s hotline effort is more laudable than those in some other states. At least three states — Virginia, Arizona and Florida — have set up hotlines to report the teaching of critical race theory in public schools. Virginia shut down its hotline after receiving a negligible number of complaints. In Arizona, 10 days after the hotline opened, an official said: “The majority at this point are prank calls. But we’re not going to be dissuaded by that.”
Unlike the teaching of critical race theory, which is a college-level academic theory, crimes motivated by racial or ethnic bias are not a fabricated concern. According to FBI statistics, more than 12,000 hate crimes were reported nationally in 2021, an increase of 103 percent since 2016. A majority of those are related to racial or ethnic bias, with religion and sexual orientation also being common motivators.
Clark County is not immune to the trend. According to a spokeswoman in Ferguson’s office: “In 2022, the city of Vancouver Police Department reported 113 hate crimes to the FBI — nearly as many as the city of Seattle, although Seattle has four times the population.”
That is the impetus for Clark County’s inclusion in the pilot program. The hopes are that it will not be inundated with prank calls (reminder: It is a crime to falsely report a crime) and that the process will effectively provide help for those who need it. Ferguson’s office will convene an advisory committee expected to include culturally specific service providers and representatives of community organizations.
But the broader hope is that our society eventually will reach a point where crimes motivated by racial, cultural and religious bias are no longer a growing concern.
