The portal serves as an additional reporting method for victims and witnesses after they call 911, according to a press release. Individuals can file anonymous or named reports and access other resources, guidance and state hate bias reports from previous years. Work on the website began in July 2023 in partnership with the Maryland Department of Information Technology.
“For too long, hate crimes have been underreported and underestimated, but victims don’t have to suffer in silence. I am listening,” Brown said in the release. “This new portal is a safe place to speak up. It will help us all understand how widespread these incidents are, so we can better address them.”
Brown said in the release that making the state safer is one of his top priorities, adding, “There is no room for hate in Maryland.” Information gathered from reports will help track the number and trends in hate crimes and hate bias incidents.
According to the Office of the Attorney General, the number of hate crimes and hate bias incidents in Maryland rose from 388 in 2021 to 465 in 2022, but many incidents still go unreported.
The portal is “one facet of a multi-pronged approach to fighting hate crimes and bias incidents,” Office of the Attorney General Spokesperson Jennifer Donelan said in a statement.
Other facets include the Maryland Commission on Hate Crimes Response and Prevention, regional hate bias reporting forums and training law enforcement and prosecutors. An assistant attorney general was also hired to focus on anti-hate initiatives.
These efforts are supported by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice to mitigate increased hate crimes in the state. Maryland State Police are also working to create a training platform under the grant, Donelan said.
Information collected from the new online portal will assist the Office of the Attorney General and the Maryland Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention in creating recommendations to improve the state’s response to hate.
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