Hate Crimes/Violence Prevention Project
The June 2001 killing of Hector Robles in Paterson, NJ by a mob of high
school boys saturated front pages and evening news reports with its horrid
brutality and inexplicable motivation. Hidden from most living rooms,
however, were a number of other shocking crimes committed nationwide against
homeless people this year. A 22-year-old woman was stabbed almost 15 times
and thrown into the Charles River in Cambridge, MA. A man was drenched
with gasoline and set on fire in New York City. An army veteran in Ventura,
CA, was beaten to death while resting in his sleeping bag.
The term "hate crime" generally conjures up images of cross
burnings and lynchings, swastikas on Jewish synagogues, and horrific murders
of gays and lesbians. In 1968, the U.S. Congress defined a hate crime
as a crime in which the defendant intentionally selects a victim, or in
the case of a property crime, the property that is the object of the crime,
because of their race, color or national origin (Title 18 U.S.C Section
245). The first federal law to combat hate crimes, 18 USC Section 245,
passed in 1968; it mandated that the government must prove both that the
crime occurred because of a victim's membership in a designated group
and because the victim was engaged in certain specified federally-protected
activities -- such as serving on a jury, voting, or attending public school.
[1]
Hate crimes are commonly called bias-motivated crimes, referring to the
prejudice or partiality of the perpetrator against the victim's real or
perceived grouping or circumstance. Most hate crimes are committed not
by organized hate groups, but by individual citizens who harbor a strong
resentment against a certain group of people. Some are "mission offenders,"
who believe they are on a mission to cleanse the world of a particular
evil. Others are "scapegoat offenders," who project their resentment
toward the growing economic power of a particular racial or ethnic group
through violent actions. Still others are "thrill seekers"-those
who take advantage of a vulnerable and disadvantaged group in order to
satisfy their own pleasures. [2] Thrill seekers, primarily
in their teens, are the most common perpetrators of violence against the
homeless population.
What
You Can Do:
By bringing up discussion on hate crimes committed to people experiencing
homelessness in the market place of ideas we have the chance to break
down stereotypes and broaden awareness. When roundtable discussions in
college classrooms or community forums talk about the issue of hate crimes
against homeless people or invite NCH to present at your discussion. Through
solidarity and education we can bring a final end to hate crime violence.
For more information, please contact Michael
Stoops, Director of Community Organizing at 202.462.4822
or mstoops@nationalhomeless.org.
NCH
Recommendations:
1. A public statement by the U.S. Department of Justice acknowledging
that hate crimes and/or violence against people experiencing homelessness
is a serious national trend.
2. A database to be maintained by the U.S. Department of Justice, in
cooperation with the National Coalition for the Homeless, to track hate
crimes and/or violence against people who become homeless.
3. Sensitivity training at police academies and departments nationwide
for trainees and police officers on how to deal effectively and humanely
with people who become homeless in their communities.
4. A General Accounting Office (GAO) investigation into the nature and
scope of hate crimes and/or violent acts and crimes that occur against
people experiencing homelessness. The study will address the following:
causes of hate crimes/violence, circumstances that contribute to or were
responsible for the perpetrators' behavior, beliefs held by the perpetrators
of these crimes and how their beliefs have changed since conviction, and
thoughts and advice to others who are considering hate crimes/violence
against the homeless population.
- 2010: Hate Crimes Against the Homeless: Violence Hidden in Plain View
- 2009: Hate Crimes Against the Homeless: America's Growing Tide of Violence
- 2008: Hate, Violence, and Death
on Main Street USA: A Report on Hate Crimes And Violence Against People
Experiencing Homelessness
- 2007: Hate, Violence, and Death
on Main Street USA: A Report on Hate Crimes And Violence Against People
Experiencing Homelessness
- 2006: Hate, Violence, and Death
on Main Street USA: A Report on Hate Crimes And Violence Against People
Experiencing Homelessness
- 2005: Hate, Violence, and Death
on Main Street USA: A Report on Hate Crimes And Violence Against People
Experiencing Homelessness
- 2004: Hate, Violence, and Death
on Main Street USA: A Report on Hate Crimes And Violence Against People
Experiencing Homelessness
- 2003: Hate, Violence, and
Death on Main Street USA: A Report on Hate Crimes And Violence Against
People Experiencing Homelessness
- 2002: Hate, Violence, and Death
on Main Street USA: A Report on Hate Crimes And Violence Against People
Experiencing Homelessness
- 2001: Violent Crimes Committed Against
Homeless People in the U.S.
- 2000:
Hate Crime Violence Against Homeless People
- 1999:
Hate Crimes Against Homeless People
1 Source: Anti-Defamation League, http://www.adl.org/legislative_action/hatecrimes_briefing.html
2 Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, www.ojp.usdoj.gov
3 Source: Anti-Defamation League, http://www.adl.org/legislative_action/hatecrimes_briefing.html
4 Source: Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, www.civilrights.org
5 Source: Anti-Defamation League, http://www.adl.org/legislative_action/hatecrimes_briefing.html
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