Hate/Bias Crime
The impact of crimes motivated by hate or bias is far reaching, often extending beyond the trauma of the victim to severely impact all members of the community. The Calgary Police Service is committed to addressing and eliminating hate and bias from the city through a strong and consistent proactive response.Improving victim reporting rates is one of the objectives of the hate/bias crime liaison officer. The officer also works to convey a strong message of respect and commitment to Calgary's diverse cultures through partnerships with government, community organizations, agencies and individuals.
For more information on Hate/Bias crimes, please call 403-206-8150.
Involvement
The hate/bias crimes liaison officer educates Calgarians on hate/bias crime, while building communication between police and targeted communities. The liaison officer also works with the Crown Prosecutor's office to identify crimes motivated by hate or bias. This role is particularly important because, if a judge is satisfied that an offence was motivated by hate, bias or prejudice, he or she can increase the sentence imposed on the offender.Report Hate/Bias Crime Initiative
The Calgary Police Service Cultural Resources Unit has launched an initiative to encourage people to report hate/bias crimes and incidents. The initiative includes a database, and a brochure and poster entitled: Report Hate/Bias Crime! The brochure also explains the difference between crimes and incidents.The Public Service communications officers - who field all non-emergency calls - have been trained in the new procedure of tracking hate/bias incidents, as well as crimes.
The poster and pamphlet are available at all Calgary Police Service district offices, public libraries and will be distributed to all Calgary junior high and high schools.
These documents are Adobe Acrobat PDF (Portable Document Format) files. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader you can download it for free. The Calgary Police Service communications officers - who field all non-emergency calls - have been trained in the new procedure of tracking hate/bias incidents, as well as crimes.
Details from Bill C-41, which came into effect in September 1996, Section 718.2 of the Criminal Code:
"When Court is imposing a sentence, it will take into consideration any evidence brought forward during the trial. If this evidence reveals that the crime was motivated by bias, prejudice or hate based on race, national or ethnic origin, language, colour, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation or any other similar factor, an increased penalty should be applied."
Updated: Wednesday, June 2, 2010 1:39 PM