Resources & Tools to Counter Hate

Laws and Legislation Relevant to Hate and Bias-Motivated Crime

District Laws:

State Laws:

Federal Laws and Pending Legislation:

Resources, Reports, and Toolkits on Hate, Hate Crimes, and Extremism

District Resources:

Federal Resources:

Non-Governmental Resources:

Voices from Across my Office

Voices graphic

Voices from Across My Office

At the Office of the Attorney General, we’re proud of the broad array of work we do on behalf of the District, and the hundreds of employees who make our agency run. “Voices from Across My Office” is a blog series highlighting some of the people behind our efforts and the variety of work they do to support, defend, and stand up for District residents. By the end of the series there will be a post about each of the divisions at OAG.

Read each of the posts on my Medium page, or at the links below:

Office of the Solicitor General

Legal Counsel Division

Public Safety Division

Support Services Division

Civil Litigation Division

Cure the Streets

Child Support Services Division

Public Advocacy Division

Personnel, Labor and Employment Division

Commercial Division

Family Services Division

 

Cure the Streets Data Dashboard

What is Cure the Streets?

Cure the Streets is a pilot public safety program launched by OAG aimed at reducing gun violence. It operates in discrete high violence neighborhoods using a data-driven, public-health approach to gun violence by treating it as a disease that can be interrupted, treated, and stopped from spreading. Read more about the program and get context for this data, here

The Metrics

The goal of Cure the Streets is to reduce the frequency of shootings and gun homicides within the target areas. We track gun-related violent incidents in the target areas year over year and as compared to gun violence rates in the District overall. We also track data associated with the activities of the program.

We also measure community perceptions of violence in the target areas to determine whether the program influences how residents feel about the level of violence in their neighborhoods. In the fall of 2019, we contracted to conduct a community survey in the target areas, which served as a baseline of community perceptions of violence in the neighborhood. We had delayed conducting it during the pandemic, but are now in the process of conducting an in-person follow-up survey.

When looking at this early data, bear in mind the following:

  • The numbers are very small.
  • Cure the Streets sites were specifically chosen because of their high rates of gun violence.
  • Cure the Streets is designed to address certain types of gun crimes, those that result from reciprocal violence. It is not intended to address, for example, intimate partner violence or violence related to random crime.
  • The data below track Assaults with Deadly Weapon offenses, where the weapon at issue was a gun (ADW Gun), and homicides where a gun was used.
  • “Rest of District” includes all other non-Cure the Streets sites in the District (including any parts of the District that fall in areas where the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement operates violence interruption programs).

All metrics below are by fiscal year (October 1 – September 30) or fiscal year to date.

Gun Incidents within Cure the Streets Sites

Last updated: 1/16/2024

ADW Gun (Updated Jan '24)

 

Gun Homicide (Updated Jan '24)

Program Metrics Across All Cure the Streets Sites

Program Metrics Across All Cure the Streets Sites

Program Metrics for Individual Cure the Streets Sites

FY24 Program Metrics for Individual CTS Sites (Jan. Updated)

 

FY23 Program Metrics for Individual CTS Sites (Jan. Updated)

Data Dictionary

ADW gun (Gun Assault with a Deadly Weapon): Incidents categorized by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) as an assault with a deadly weapon in which the weapon was a gun. Gun ADWs include any assault with a gun, including shooting or pointing a gun.

Community Responses to Shootings Organized by CTS: The number of community responses CTS mobilized in response to shooting incidents, in order to denounce violence, reclaim public space, provide public education, strengthen community ties, and ensure violence is not normalized.

Gun homicide: Incidents categorized by MPD as a homicide offense in which the weapon was a gun.

Mediations by CTS Staff: The number of conflicts in which CTS teams initiated an intervention as neutral mediators to help work towards peaceful resolution.

Number of Program Participants: The number of high-risk individuals with whom a CTS Outreach Worker is in active contact to reduce that individual’s likelihood of becoming involved in gun violence.

Click here to go to the Cure the Streets homepage.

Where and How Cure the Streets Works

Cure the Streets is working to reduce violence in these ways:

  • Interrupting Potentially Violent Conflicts
    CTS Violence Interrupters (VIs) are hired for their credibility, relationships, and influence within targeted neighborhoods and trained to resolve conflicts. VIs engage with the community to learn about brewing conflicts and resolve them peaceably before they erupt in violence. If a shooting does occur, VIs work with those affected by the incident to prevent retaliation. VIs also organize rallies or vigils when shootings occur to ensure that violence is not normalized.
  • Identifying and Treating High-Risk Individuals
    CTS Outreach Workers (OWs) recruit and work with individuals at high risk for involvement with violence to reduce their risk factors. OWs meet with program participants several times a week to implement individualized risk reduction plans. They also help connect participants with needed services, such as housing, counseling, and employment assistance, and develop action plans for a positive future.
  • Mobilizing the Community to Change Norms
    CTS programs engage with residents, community leaders, local businesses, faith leaders, service providers, and high-risk individuals to build coalitions and develop strategies to reduce violence. CTS programs work with these partners to organize forums and public events where residents can gather and interact safely without fear of conflict and violence.

Community partners employ more than 90 Cure the Streets frontline staff at these sites:

ward 1 and 4

 

sites in wards 5 and 6
ward 7
CTS Sites

Click here to go to the Cure the Streets homepage.

Learn More about STAY DC Clinics to Help with Rent and Utility Assistance

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the financial challenges that many DC residents face as workers have lost jobs and families have struggled to care for their children. At the same time, residents still have bills to pay to keep a roof over their head and their lights on. Countless residents have been unable to keep up and are at risk of eviction.

During August and September, OAG is partnering with local nonprofit organizations to sponsor in-person STAY DC clinics to help residents navigate the application process so they can get support to pay their rent and utility bills. We hope residents join us to get assistance filling out the applications.

What is STAY DC?

STAY DC is a financial assistance program for District renters and housing providers who are looking for support to cover housing and utility expenses and offset the loss of income. The program is meant to help families settle debts, pay landlords what they’re owed and, ultimately, avoid a crisis when the District’s moratorium on eviction proceedings expires later this year.

Under the STAY DC online portal, tenants can apply to cover outstanding rent and utility bills dating back to April 1, 2020, and three months of future rent. Click here to determine eligibility for STAY DC support.

But, for tenants who are elderly, face technological barriers, or are disabled, illiterate, or whose primary language is not English, the application is often impossible to navigate without help — and there isn’t enough help to go around.

How can OAG help?

OAG is stepping in to fill that gap. We have partnered with several nonprofit organizations who are sponsoring STAY DC clinics to help residents navigate the application process. OAG attorneys and staff are volunteering at the clinics to help residents apply for financial assistance, as many have expressed difficulties filling out the application. The clinics will take place at:

  • August 3, 6:00pm – 9:00pm
    Ward 2: Luther Place Memorial Church: 1226 Vermont Ave NW, Washington, DC 20005
  • August 10, 6:00pm – 9:00pm
    Ward 8: Hart Middle School: 601 Mississippi Ave SE, Washington, DC 20032
  • August 19, 6:00pm – 9:00pm
    Ward 8: Hart Middle School: 601 Mississippi Ave SE, Washington, DC 20032
  • August 28, 10:00am – 2:00pm
    Ward 7: Marshall Heights Community Development Organization: 3939 Benning Rd NE, Washington, DC 20019
  • September 11, 10:00am – 2:00pm
    Ward 5: Church of the Redeemer, 1423 Girard Street NE, Washington, DC 20017  
  • September 18, 10:00am – 2:00pm
    Ward 7: East Washington Heights Baptist Church: 2220 Branch Ave SE, Washington, DC 20020
  • September 20, 5:00pm – 8:00pm
    Ward 1: Columbia Heights Education Center, 3101 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20010
  • September 22, 5:00pm – 8:00pm
    Ward 8: THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave SE, Washington, DC 20020

Do I need to pre-register to go to a clinic?

We strongly encourage residents to pre-register at this link to join one of the upcoming clinics so residents will be paired with a volunteer who can assist. Residents can also walk up to a clinic without an appointment, but pre-registering will guarantee that someone will be available to provide assistance.

Do I need to bring anything with me to a clinic?

Before going to an appointment, review the list of required documents and bring those documents to the appointment.

Can I volunteer to help at a clinic?

If you’re interested in volunteering to help DC residents fill out their STAY DC applications, register at this link. You do not have to be a lawyer to volunteer. Everyone who submits the form will be provided with a one-hour training link, which must be completed before your first volunteer shift.

Why is there still funding available for this program?

The District created STAY DC – which is jointly run by the DC Department of Human Services and the DC Department of Housing and Community Development – to distribute the District’s portion of the federal assistance funds, which totals $200 million, to eligible residents for rent and utility support.

Partially as a result of application difficulties, STAY DC still has more than 80% of its assistance funds which can be distributed to eligible residents.

The District must disperse at least $130 million to eligible residents before September 30, 2021, or it forfeits additional federal funds that the District would be eligible for and which could help even more families avoid eviction.

I’m not a tenant, but I’m having trouble paying my utilities. Can STAY DC help me?

STAY DC is only available to tenants. Homeowners who are struggling with utilities bills should contact their utilities providers to discuss payment plans. There is also information about other utilities assistance available here.

Have questions more? Email oagcommunity@dc.gov.

How OAG is Countering Hate

At OAG, we believe that challenging biased attitudes and behaviors in ourselves, others, our institutions, and our systems, can help to interrupt bias before it escalates and stop discrimination, hate, and bias-motivated violence from flourishing. For that reason, OAG’s strategy to address hate focuses on awareness, prevention, and survivor support.

In 2021, I had the great honor as serving as the president of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) and chose countering hate as the theme for my presidential initiative. Through the presidential initiative, The People v. Hate: Standing Up for Humanity, we embarked on a year-long inquiry into hate.

Each quarter built upon different themes of hate—including understanding it, preventing it, dismantling its legacy, and repairing its harm. My presidential term may be over — but my work against hate will continue until my last breath.

Read about my year-long trial against hate on Medium and email PeopleVHate@dc.gov for specific questions about our work to counter hate.

2021 NAAG Presidential Overview:

  • December 6, 2020 – Launch Video: The People v. Hate – Standing Up for Humanity (NAAG, Video)
  • December 6, 2020 – District of Columbia Attorney General Karl A. Racine 2021 Presidential Initiative Remarks (NAAG, Video)

Local and National Legal, Legislative, and Advocacy Efforts to Address Hate:

WIN: Responding to the Violent Attack on the U.S. Capitol

  • December 17, 2021 – Announcing Lawsuit Against January 6 Insurrectionists (Text)
  • December 14, 2021 – AG Racine Files Lawsuit to Hold January 6 Insurrectionists Accountable & Stand Up for Harmed District Law Enforcement Officers (Text)
  • March 21, 2021 – Statement for the Record: Hearing on State and Local Responses to Domestic Terrorism: Attack on the US Capitol and Beyond (Statement)
  • January 12, 2021 – AG Racine Leads Bipartisan Coalition of 50 Attorneys General Condemning Violent Attack on U.S. Capitol (Letter)

WIN: Passage of the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act

  • May 18, 2021 – Congress Passes the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act (Statement)
  • April 13, 2021 – Bipartisan Coalition of 35 AGs Calling on Congress to Pass the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act (Letter)

WIN: Responding to Growing Presence of Hate & Disinformation Online

  • December 6, 2021 - AG Racine Files Brief Supporting Effort to Hold Facebook Accountable For Falsely Claiming to Remove Hate Speech From Its Platform (Text) 
  • January 16, 2021 – Facebook Halts Weapon Accessory Ads (Post)
  • January 15, 2021 – AG Racine Urges Facebook to Halt Weapon Accessory Advertisements Amid Heightened Threats Ahead of Inauguration (Letter)
  • August 5, 2020  AG Racine Leads 20-State Coalition Urging Facebook to Aggressively Combat the Spread of Hate and Disinformation Online (Letter)

WIN: Passage of Legislation to Enforce the District’s Hate Crimes

  • December 15, 2020 – AG Racine’s Statement on Council’s Passes of Civil Rights Legislation (Statement)
  • March 3, 2020 – OAG’s Testimony on Hate Crime Civil Enforcement Clarification Amendment Act of 2019 (Text)
  • February 19, 2020 – OAG’s Testimony on Attorney General Civil Rights Enforcement Clarification Amendment Act of 2019 (Text)
  • October 23, 2019 – OAG’s Testimony on Hate Crimes in the District of Columbia and the Failure to Prosecute by the United States Attorney’s Office (Text)

Local and National Programs to Address Hate:

ACTION: Understanding the State of Hate in America and its Legacy

ACTION: Supporting Survivors and Communities Impacted by Hate

  • September 30, 2021 – Standing Up for Our Common Humanity: Seeking Justice for Victims and Survivors (NAAG, Video)
  • September 30, 2021 – Law Enforcement Working Together on Solutions to Stop Hate (NAAG, Video)
  • September 30, 2021 – Harnessing the Power of Accountability and Restorative Justice (NAAG, Video)
  • September 30, 2021 – Uniting with Community Partners on Effective Ways to Address Hate (NAAG, Video)
  • July 20, 2021 – Promising Practice in State Efforts to Combat Hate (NAAG, Video)
  • May 18, 2021 - State and Local Responses to Rising Hate (AGA, Video)
  • May 4, 2021 – A Community United: A National Convening Against Anti-AAPI Hate (AGA, Video)
  • April 14, 2021 – Spring Forum: The Rise of Hate and Its Deadly Consequences (NAAG, Video)
  • December 18, 2020 – Unifying in the Aftermath of Hate with DC’s Metropolitan AME Church Pastor, William H. Reverend Lamar IV (Video)

ACTION: Responding to Rising Hate Crimes Against the AAPI Community

  • May 4, 2021 – A Community United: A National Convening Against Anti-AAPI Hate (AGA, Video)
  • March 19, 2021 – Addressing the Rise in Anti-Asian Hate with Attorneys General Herring, Tong, and Racine (Video)
  • September 25, 2020 – Taking a Stand Against Bullying, Harassment, and Hate with Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC and Hollaback (Video)

ACTION: Empowering District Youth and Youth Educators to Counter Hate

  • April 1, 2021 – Empowering Youth and Youth Educators to Counter Hate (OAG, Video)
  • November 9, 2020 – Artists v. Hate Program Launch (OAG, Video)
  • July 31, 2020 – OAG’s High School Advisory Take 30 Takeover on Combating Hate (Video)

Action: Addressing the Rise of Hate and Disinformation Online

  • November 29, 2021 – Algorithmic Amplification of Online Hate, Extremism and Misinformation (NAAG, Video)
  • April 8, 2021 – Hate and the Internet: Addressing Online Hate and Section 230 (AGA, Video)

Press & Thought Leadership on Hate:

  • January 27, 2022 – Blog: My Year-Long Trial Against Hate (Text)
  • December 15, 2021 - Op-Ed: We sued the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers to prevent another Jan. 6 (The Washington Post)
  • October 1, 2021 – Press Release: Hosting the 2021 NAAG Presidential Summit (Text)
  • September 30, 2021 – Press Release: AG Racine Hosts National Summit on Taking the Politics Out of Hate to Unite Attorneys General to Address Hate Incidents & Seek Solutions (Text)
  • September 17th, 2021 – Press Release: Staying Safe This Weekend & Combating Hate (Text)
  • September 11, 2021 – Op-Ed: “The Threat we Face is Unbridled Hate” 9/11 Anniversary (Link)
  • April 29, 2021 – Article: Antisemitic incidents historically high in DMV despite slight national decline (WUSA9)
  • April 6, 2021 – Podcast: Combatting Incel Violence (NAAG
  • March 26, 2021 – Press Release: Confronting Anti-Asian Hate (Text)
  • March 19, 2021 – Article: Three Attorneys General discuss rise of anti-Asian hate and violence (NBC12)
  • December 29, 2020 – Article: America has a hate problem. Facebook and Google are part of it, D.C.’s top attorney says (Politico)
  • December 23, 2020 – Article: The People vs. Hate (The Atlantic)
  • December 16, 2020 – Article: Racine Elected to Lead Attorneys General (Washington Informer)
  • November 27, 2020 – Article: After taking on Trump, D.C. attorney general turns focus to hate and extremism (Washington Post)
  • August 28, 2020 – Op-Ed: Welcome to the New Civil Rights Era (Washington Post)
  • June 1, 2020 – Op-Ed: Leaders Must Step Up to Fight Hate (The Hill)

Help for Hate Crime Survivors

If you have experienced a hate crime, know of, or have witnessed a hate crime, seek immediate help by:

It is important to report a hate crime regardless of whether you have information on the suspect(s) or evidence of physical injury or property damage. If there is any evidence related to the crime, do not clean up any vandalism until the police arrive. Keep any letters, e-mails, answering machine tapes, hate literature, spray paint cans, or symbolic objects used by hate groups for purposes of an investigation. Take pictures if you can.

What is Hate?

What is hate?

Hate generally starts with bias that is left unchecked. Bias is a preference either for or against an individual or group that affects someone’s ability to judge fairly. When that bias is left unchecked, it becomes normalized or accepted, and may even escalate into violence. When hate manifests against a person or group of people, it usually derives from ignorance, anger, fear, a sense of injury, or a perceived threat to the status quo.

When the word “hate” is used in law, such as “hate crime law,” it does not mean rage, anger, or general dislike. In this context, “hate” means bias against people or groups with specific characteristics.

The pyramid of hate shows how bias can escalate from attitudes to more severe forms of hate.

What is hate

What is a hate crime or bias-related crime?

A hate crime or bias-related crime is a crime that is committed against a person or group of people because of bias or prejudice. The legal definitions of a hate crime vary between states and the federal government.

In the District, a hate or “bias-related crime” is defined as a criminal act that demonstrates prejudice based on someone’s actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibility, homelessness, physical disability, matriculation, or political affiliation.

The District’s Bias-Related Crimes Act of 1989 provides for increased penalties whenever a crime is motivated by bias or hate.

  • Potential for Increased Fines and Imprisonment for Perpetrators: When a person is charged with and found guilty of a bias-related crime, they are subject to higher penalties – including sentences up to 1.5 times the maximum fine and period of incarceration for the underlying crime.   
     
  • Civil Remedies for Survivors: Survivors who are injured or whose property is damaged as a result of a bias-related crime may also seek civil action for relief, separate from any criminal action the government pursues.

A federal hate crime is a crime that is committed against a person because of prejudice or bias. Survivors of hate crimes are singled out simply because of their actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. For an overview of federal hate crimes and related federal laws, see the Department of Justice’s Hate Crime Laws page.

What is not a hate crime?

A crime that is motivated by hate is a hate crime. If one of these components is missing, or if the motivation is unclear, it is unlikely to meet the specific legal standards of a hate crime.

An act or incident of hate, bias or discrimination that is not a crime, however, may nonetheless violate other laws, or may require de-escalation or restorative justice efforts, and should still be reported.

Hateful speech alone is not a hate crime, regardless of how offensive and abhorrent it may be. Speech is often used as evidence of the bias-motivation but is not a crime in and of itself.

Sometimes these legal nuances are best understood through scenarios.

Scenario A: A person assaults another outside of a club because of their perceived race, religion, sexual identity, or other protected class. This is likely a hate crime. In this scenario there is a crime, hate, and the hate is the motivating factor in the crime.

Scenario B: A person robs another and uses hateful language during the robbery. It is unclear if this is a hate crime because without additional detail, we do not know if the perpetrator’s decision to commit the robbery was motivated by hate or another factor. In this scenario there is a crime and hate, but it is unclear if hate is the motivating factor in the crime. The crime may still be prosecuted as a robbery, but additional information is necessary to determine whether it is a hate crime.

Scenario C:  Each morning, a person waiting for the bus makes hateful comments to another person at the same bus stop because of their perceived race, religion, sexual identity, or other protected class. This is not a hate crime. In this scenario there is hate but no crime. This street harassment should be reported to authorities because it is harmful behavior and could escalate to a hate crime. De-escalation, and restorative justice efforts may be helpful.

Why should someone report a hate crime?

Bias-related acts have a tremendous effect on an entire community. When one person is targeted because of their race, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, or other characteristic, others in the community who were not the direct targets of the hate crime may also feel at risk. Reporting hate crimes is an important step in stopping them, getting support for survivors, and preventing incidents from escalating. A person who commits a hate crime cannot be brought to justice and held accountable if the crime is not reported. In addition, collecting accurate data on the number and types of hate crimes or bias-related incidents is one of the only ways in which police, prosecutors, elected officials, and community organizations can determine the extent of hate crimes and what resources are needed to prevent them.

How can I report a hate crime?

Read more about how to report a hate crime under Help for Hate Crime Survivors.

What legal authority does OAG have to protect District residents who have experienced discrimination or hate crimes?

OAG fights discrimination and protects the civil rights of District residents through the District’s Human Rights Act (DCHRA), which outlaws discrimination in employment, housing, education, and public accommodations based on protected traits including race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and disability. In addition, OAG advocates for legislation to strengthen civil rights and antidiscrimination laws and engages in education outreach with the community so that residents know their rights. Learn more about illegal discrimination and how OAG is working to defend your civil rights.

As to hate crimes, the United States Attorney’s Office is primarily responsible for prosecuting bias-motivated offenses committed by adults. OAG prosecutes juveniles who commit bias-motivated offenses in appropriate cases. Finally, OAG supported the passage of B23-0513―Hate Crime Civil Enforcement Clarification Amendment Act of 2019, which now authorizes OAG to bring civil hate crimes charges against an individual who commits a designated act of bias.

How can I join OAG’s efforts to counter hate?

Email PeopleVHate@dc.gov to learn about how to get involved and join upcoming events.

2019-2020 Annual Report and Resource Guide

Click here to read the full 2019-2020 Annual Report and Resource Guide.

2019 - 2020 Annual Report Cover Image

 

Dear Residents,

We are living in unprecedented times.

At the time of this writing, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has claimed over 650 lives across the District and left numerous more residents sick. Tens of thousands have lost work and now struggle to make ends meet. Parents have had to juggle putting food on the table and providing childcare. Computer screens have become temporary classrooms for our students, and an imperfect means to staying connected with our elderly and vulnerable residents.

It has been a year of loneliness, anxiety, uncertainty—and reckoning. While COVID-19 has laid bare the inequities that have long plagued communities of color, an eruption of racist police violence has made it impossible to look away.

Yet over these solemn months, I have watched the District meet this crisis with undeniable discipline, determination, and resilience.

I have seen essential workers—doctors and nurses and EMTs, police and firefighters, delivery drivers and cooks and grocery store workers and many more—dutifully serving the District and its residents, particularly our most vulnerable, despite great personal risk.

I’ve heard the District and the nation find its voice within a multiethnic, multigenerational, and global movement demanding true equality under our nation’s economic, educational, criminal justice, and healthcare systems.

I’ve witnessed our decades-long dream of gaining the full rights of citizenship leap closer to reality, as the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 51, the D.C. statehood bill.

And I’ve discovered hope.

I believe this moment can be our opportunity to build a better, fairer future. And I know the Office of the Attorney General can play a role, just as we have worked to contain this virus’s damage.

We may have been teleworking since March, but our commitment to providing the District with first-class legal services has never wavered. We’ve continued to defend your rights and emergency protections—stopping price gougers, rooting out scams and fraudsters, standing up for tenants in need, and fighting for workers’ health and safety.

We’ve leaned on virtual community outreach and our Cure the Streets violence interruption teams to keep residents informed, safe, fed, and counted in the U.S. Census. We’ve advised and collaborated with the Council and Executive Office of the Mayor on emergency legislation. And we’ve worked with the courts, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to make sure we’re addressing our public health and public safety needs.

All the while, we have filed and settled lawsuits to protect our environment, advanced evidence-based strategies to address racial inequities, taken on discriminatory property managers and neglectful slumlords, and so much more. 2020 has strengthened our resolve to fight for District residents. So if there are ways OAG can better serve you, we want to hear about them. Together, we can chart a path for a future that marks this unparalleled year as the beginning of an extraordinary new era.

Sincerely,
Karl A. Racine
Attorney General