Individually, each project described in this monograph constitutes an innovative effort by police and prosecutors to improve systems for responding to hate crimes. Collectively, however, the six projects demonstrate the creativity and the deep commitment of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in leading the Nation’s effort to combat bias-motivated crime. December 1999; Free (NCJ 179599); BJA.
www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bja/179559.pdf

Criminal Victimization 1999: Changes 1998–99 With Trends 1993–99 (report)

This report presents 1999 criminal victimization levels and rates from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). Other findings include data on victim characteristics, victim-offender relationships, use of weapons, and trends in victimization rates from 1993 to 1999. NCVS is an ongoing survey of households that interviews about 80,000 persons in 43,000 households annually. Violent crimes included in the report are rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault (from NCVS), and homicide (from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting program). Property crimes include burglaries, motor vehicle thefts, and thefts of other property. August 2000; Free (NCJ 182734); BJS.
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/cv99.pdf

This handbook instructs “first responders” to crimes, usually law enforcement officers, on how best to respond to victims during the initial contact after a crime. Law enforcement officers are provided with basic guidelines to observe when approaching and interacting with six categories of crime victims: elderly victims, victims of sexual assault, child victims, victims of domestic violence, victims of alcohol-related driving crashes and survivors of homicide victims. The handbook provides hotline numbers and referral information that first responders can offer victims. December 2001; Free (NCJ 189631); OVC.
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/publications/infores/firstrep/2001/welcome.html

The way victims are treated by dispatchers, officers who arrive first at the crime scene, and detectives investigating the case shapes victims’ expectations of how they will be treated throughout the criminal justice process. Therefore, law enforcement personnel who interact with victims, either in person or over the telephone, must know how to respond effectively. This bulletin recognizes the significant role law enforcement plays in providing information and assistance to victims of crime. August 1998; Free (NCJ 172813); OVC.
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/directions/pdftxt/bulletins/bltn3.pdf

The five demonstration programs described in this monograph are among our Nation’s most promising models for confronting and reducing hate crime. These programs, funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, were developed by state and local agencies. One provides training to law enforcement professionals, one addresses the needs of hate crime victims, and the last three programs focus on bias among youth, with an emphasis on removing hate from public schools. May 2000; Free (NCJ 181425); BJA.
www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bja/181425.pdf

This training package assists law enforcement and victim assistance personnel in responding to victims of bias crime. It builds on current best efforts and practices, identified by national experts in law enforcement, victim assistance, and hate crime prevention and response. The curriculum is intended for a multidisciplinary training audience, including law enforcement officers, victim advocates, and community-based organizations. It provides up-to-date information and strategies for identifying bias crimes and taking appropriate actions to deter and investigate those crimes, to assist the victims, to contribute to successful investigation and prosecution of bias crime, and to change the community norms that foster a tolerance of and indifference toward those crimes. 2000; Available online only (NCJ 182290); OVC.
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/publications/infores/responding/welcome.html

This training manual provides information on how police officers can prevent hate crimes, respond appropriately to hate crimes that do occur, and support the formation of coalitions to rid communities of intolerance. October 1999; Free (NCJ 179087); BJA.
www.theiacp.org/documents/index.cfm?fuseaction=document&document_id=141

This 20-minute video describes the characteristics of a hate incident and a hate crime and how to distinguish between the two. Indicators to consider when deciding whether an incident may be hate-related include whether the incident would have occurred if the victim and perpetrator had been from the same social or ethnic group and whether the perpetrator used language that indicated bias. The video then describes how first responders can set the tone for investigation of an incident and addresses what first responders can and should do: carefully gather eyewitness testimony, maintain a nonjudgmental attitude, and display compassion for the victim. December 1999; Free (NCJ 179015); Includes the Instructor’s Guide (NCJ 180808); BJA.