A crime in which a defendant intentionally selects a victim because of the actual or perceived race, color, national origin, ethnicity, gender, gender expression or identity, disability, or sexual orientation of any person.

What are the "protected classes"?

Race

Religion

National Origin

Sexual Orientation

Gender

Disability

What do you do when you believe you are the victim of a hate crime?

Immediately report it to the Chicago Police Department. Tell the officers that you believe you were targeted because of your protected status.Tell the police officer, verbatim, what the perpetrator said and did to make you believe you were targeted.

After Reporting a Hate Crime, What is The Police Process?

A hate crime is reported to the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and the case is referred to the Civil Rights Unit for investigation. This is a separate Unit within the CPD that is in charge of conducting hate crime investigations.  The Civil Rights Unit notifies The Chicago Commission on Human Relations (CCHR) whom, therefore, provides victim support.

What Can the Chicago Commission on Human Relations do for you?

The CCHR in conjunction with the Civil Rights Unit of the Chicago Police Department and the State’s Attorneys Office, provides support to the victims of hate crimes.  The CCHR staff is available to accompany hate crime victims to court hearings, visit victims at home, and provide other referral services.

For every Hate Crime reported, how many go unreported?

Under-reporting of hate crimes is identified by the U.S. Department of Justice as occurring 24 to 28 times more than what are reported by police to the FBI.  (Harlow, C. W., 2005).

What are the penalties for a Hate Crime?

A Hate Crime is a Class IV felony.  A convicted Hate Crime offender can receive a probationary sentence. The court must also impose community service hours.  According to Illinois law, hate can be considered an aggravating factor and “accorded weight in favor of imposing a term of imprisonment or may be considered by the court as reason to impose a more severe sentence”.

What are the most frequently reported categories of Hate Crimes in the City of Chicago?

Race and Sexual Orientation

What motivates a hate crime offender to commit an act of violence against a particular group?

Thrill-seeking:  Motivated by the desire for excitement.

Defensive: Commits hate crimes to protect their neighborhood from perceived "outsiders".

Retaliatory:  Acting in response to a hate crime; either real or perceived.

Mission: So strongly committed to bigotry that they make hate a career.