Report Hate Crimes

What is a hate crime?

A hate crime has two elements: a criminal act, such as assault, battery or criminal damage to property; and a motive based on the victim's actual or perceived race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender or disability. The motive is often expressed by hate language.

Dial 911 to report any crime or emergency

Even if you are unable to describe the offenders, your report helps police and community leaders spot patterns. It also helps determine the allocation of police resources.

When police officers arrive:

describe what happened, including any hate language used.
if the attack meets the definition above, ask them to report it as a hate crime and tell them you're willing to go to court.
after officers write out a report, you'll be given a partial copy with an "RD" (Records Division) number that will allow you to track your case.
for assistance in reporting a hate crime, call the Center on Halsted Crisis Line at 773-871-2273. They will help you track your case and support you in court.

Resources

Chicago Police Department

23rd District Community Policing Office, Lakeview east of Clark St., 312-744-0064
19th District Community Policing Office, Lakeview west of Clark St., 312-744-5574
Civil Rights Section (investigates and tracks hate crimes), 312-747-5485

Cook County State's Attorney's Office

North Side Community Prosecution Unit (prosecutes hate crimes), 773-506-3602
Victims-Witness Program (helps victims in court), 773-890-7212

Community Resources

Anti-Defamation League (tracks hate crimes and assists communities) 312-782-5080
Chicago Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights (sues offenders in civil court), 312-630-9744
Center on Halsted Community Services Anti-Violence project 24-hour Crisis Line, 773-871-2273
Lakeview Action Coalition: 773-549-1947