Report a Bias Crime or Incident
Hate crimes and bias incidents are on the rise, both in Oregon and nationally. It is up to all Oregonians to make sure that everyone is safe in their community. A bias incident is any hostile expression that may be motivated by another person’s race, color, disability, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. A hate crime, known as a bias crime under Oregon law, is any crime where the perpetrator’s motivation is based on bias. Both bias crimes and incidents can be verbal, physical, or visual, and can target someone in a protected class, a family member, or even someone incorrectly perceived to be in a protected class.
Examples could include:
- Name calling; using a racial, ethnic, or other slur to identify someone; or using degrading language.
- Creating racist or derogatory graffiti or images/drawings.
- Imitating someone with a disability, or imitating someone’s cultural norm or practice.
- Assaulting, injuring, or even touching someone in an offensive manner because of their perceived protected class.
- Threatening to physically harm a person, their family, or their property based on their perceived protected class.
If you believe you are the victim of a bias crime or incident, we want to hear from you.
For more information about reporting and what happens to the information you share with us, please click here.