NCJ Number
196162
Date Published
2002
Length
239 pages
Annotation
This ethnographic study of how hate-crime law works in practice from the perspective of those enforcing it examines the ways in which the police handle bias crimes and the social impact of these efforts.
Abstract
Drawing on her access to a police hate crime unit, the author explores how female, male, African-American, Latino, and Asian-American detectives view and respond to crimes that may involve violations of hate-crime laws. Also addressed is the impact of a victim's characteristics on an officer's handling of bias crimes, as well as how the police view the parameters of a suspect's First Amendment rights. Since this book focuses on how detectives in one hate crime unit conduct their work, it does not purport to indicate how all hate-crime detectives are enforcing the law. Rather, this book identifies difficulties that are likely to arise in other environments as officers must face the challenge of balancing competing pressures created by institutional, legal, and community forces that bear upon the enforcement of hate-crime statutes. The book concludes with two policy recommendations. First, increase the visibility of hate-crime enforcement and change incentives in order to increase accountability in how the police enforce hate-crime laws. Second, hate-crime laws should be enacted to punish bias-motivated conduct that obstructs a person's freedom to enjoy guaranteed rights. Such law should encourage police departments to establish hate crime units and pay attention to low-level, bias-motivated crime. Further, recommendations are offered for the composition and responsibilities of a hate crime unit. Chapter notes, a 72-item bibliography, and a subject index