NCJ Number
171897
Date Published
1997
Length
45 pages
Annotation
This manual provides information and guidelines to assist law enforcement agencies in establishing a hate crime training program for their personnel; it provides suggested model reporting procedures, as well as training aids for sensitizing police officers to the problem of hate crime.
Abstract
An overview summarizes the nature of hate crime, Federal legislation on hate crime, procedures for reporting to the Uniform Crime Reporting Program of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the data collection method. Additional sections explain and present three learning modules for use in instructing police personnel on issues related to hate crimes. The first module is titled The Social Psychology of Prejudice and focuses on the motivation for bias-related crime. The second module focuses on definitions and procedures related to bias-related crimes. It also presents a suggested model hate crime reporting system that can be adapted for use in large, medium, or small police agencies. The model includes a two-tier procedure to ensure that suspected bias-motivated incidents undergo two levels of review within the reporting agency. The third learning module provides student officers with the opportunity to apply newly gained knowledge to hypothetical case scenarios of possible bias-related crimes. Appended list of organizations offering information concerning anti-bias education, text of legislation, reporting form, and lists of regional and field offices of the Department of Justice Community Relations Service