Aura7541 said:
Based on Federal law or based on the collection of data from a federal agency? There's a big distinction between the two. And another variable to consider is the magnitude of discrimmination in different regions of the US and Canada. How are these hate crimes distributed because surely, they aren't distributed in an artistic mosaic. |
In Canada it was mentioned that hate crimes most often occur in cities, which make sense because of their population density and diverse populations. I think it is safe to assume the same is true for the U.S was well, as rural areas tend to be predominately one race or another.
As for how the FBI classifies hate crimes.
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/civilrights/hate_crimes/overview
A hate crime is a traditional offense like murder, arson, or vandalism with an added element of bias. For the purposes of collecting statistics, Congress has defined a hate crime as a “criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.” Hate itself is not a crime—and the FBI is mindful of protecting freedom of speech and other civil liberties.
- The FBI initiates a hate crime investigation when an allegation is received from a reliable source. Most complaints are received from the victim, a witness, or a third party. Many cases are also initiated by media reports, community group complaints, referrals from Department of Justice or U.S. Attorneys, and congressional inquiries.
- Under guidelines developed in conjunction with the Department of Justice, once a complaint is received, the FBI will determine if the matter warrants a preliminary or full investigation.
- Once a case is opened, a logical investigation is conducted within a reasonable period of time.
