There have been anecdotal reports about a rise in hate crimes around the country since the presidential election. But it remains unclear whether there’s been a similar uptick in Rhode Island. That’s because the state has no centralized mechanism for reporting suspected hate crimes.
Attorney General Peter Kilmartin’s office says the only way to find out would be to survey local police departments.
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey set up a hotline for suspected hate crimes after several incidents following the election. In its first week, the hotline got 400 calls.
In Rhode Island, hate crimes must be reported to local or state police. Police departments work with the state’s Attorney General, whose office is home to a Civil Rights Advocate, to determine whether civil rights violations have taken place.
Since the election, Kilmartin’s office says they’re aware of anecdotal accounts from people on both sides of the political aisle involving language that made them uncomfortable. But the agency says it is not aware of any incident that rises to the level of a hate crime.
Last year, local police departments reported 19 hate crimes to the FBI, nearly quadruple the number reported in 2014. The incidents were roughly equally divided between crimes motivated by race or ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation. Roughly half involved damage to property or vandalism, and the other half were classified as assaults.