Attorney General’s Hate Crimes Task Force In Eugene!

The Oregon Attorney General’s Office would like to hear from community members about experiences of Hate and Bias. This Listening session is meant to help the legislature better understand the nature of the problem statewide.

The task force was created to review existing legal protections for victims of hate crimes and to make proposals to the legislature for strengthening Oregon’s laws. The task force also looks into whether law enforcement have the tools they need to investigate and combat these despicable behaviors.

“Sadly, hate-motivated crimes are a growing phenomenon throughout Oregon. Our task force will review current laws and make proposals to strengthen our ability to support victims and bring perpetrators of these vile acts to account. Nobody should feel unsafe, or unwelcome, anywhere in our state,” said AG Rosenblum. “Oregon’s laws governing hate crimes would benefit by a full review and may need to be updated. I’m very pleased with the group we have assembled for this task force, which will be led by my legislative policy director, Aaron Knott, and brings together diverse community perspectives.

A hate crime is a crime motivated by prejudice in which a person targets a victim because of their race, color, religion, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, or other identified personal characteristics.

If you believe that you or someone you know has been the victim of a hate crime, you should report the crime to your local police, county sheriff or the Oregon State Police. You can also report a crime to the Oregon Department of Justice using our online form at: https://justice.oregon.gov/crimereporting/hatecrime. The Oregon DOJ will ensure that your report is passed to the appropriate authority for investigation.