California’s hate crime laws are codified in Penal Code Sections 422.55, 422.6, 422.7, and 422.75.

 California Penal Code 422.55 defines a hate crime as a criminal act committed, in whole or in part, because of one or more of the following actual or perceived characteristics of the victim. This includes:

• Disability
• Gender
• Nationality
• Race or ethnicity                         
• Religion
• Sexual orientation
• Association with a person or group of persons with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics

Criminal acts include, but are not limited to:

• Vandalism
• Physical violence against the person of another
• Criminal threats
• Theft

Monrovia Police Department Hate Crime Policy                                Hate Crime Brochure        

Hate incidents are defined by the California Department of Justice as “an action or behavior motivated by hate, but legally protected by the First Amendment right to freedom of expression. If a hate incident starts to threaten a person or property, it may become a hate crime.”

 Examples of hate incidents include, but are not limited to:

• Name-calling, including racial slurs or other derogatory terminology
• Insults
• Distributing hate material in public places
• Displaying hate material on private property

• Hate speech is any form of expression through which speakers intend to vilify, humiliate, or incite hatred against a group or a class of persons on the basis of race, religion, skin color, sexual identity, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, or national origin.
• The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects most speech, even when it is disagreeable, offensive, or hurtful.

 If you are making a report directly to the Monrovia Police Department, you should expect a professional and compassionate uniformed police officer to respond to your location to conduct an investigation.  The officer will ask you questions about your experience, collect any available evidence, and ultimately document what happened in a police report.

 If the facts you are reporting meet the legal definition of a hate crime, a criminal investigation will commence. This may ultimately lead to the arrest of the involved suspect(s) and subsequent prosecution by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

 If the event does not meet the legal definition of a hate crime, a police report will still be taken to document the circumstances surrounding the hate incident.

 Generally, when a police report is filed, it becomes a public record. However, victims of hate crimes falling under Penal Codes 422.6, 422.7, and 422.75 may request that their name and personal information remain confidential. When you contact MPD to file a report, the officer who meets with you will discuss this option in more detail.

Individuals completing an online report may choose not to provide their name or other personal information. However, this may limit IPD’s ability to thoroughly investigate what is being reported. It may also hinder the criminal prosecution of involved suspects.

https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/resources

https://calcivilrights.ca.gov/

Contact: StopHate@CalCivilRights.CA.gov

Phone: 833-8-NO-HATE (833-866-4283)

Website: https://stophate.calcivilrights.ca.gov/s/

Los Angeles County, Human Relations Commission

The LA V. Hate Anti-Hate Initiative: https://hrc.lacounty.gov/la-vs-hate-anti-hate-initiative

Phone: (213) 738-2788
Website: info@hrc.lacounty.gov

Los Angeles County, Explore Justice
“Explore Justice” serves as a repository of thought-provoking pieces relating to gender equity, race, unaddressed history, LGBTQ discrimination, and related topics so that students, parents, and educators can use the material to develop understanding on social justice topics.

Website: https://211la.org/explore-justice

VICTIM ADVOCACY AND SUPPORT GROUPS

LA vs Hate: provides free assistance to victims of hate crimes and hate incidents in Los Angeles County.
LA vs Hate can be accessed via 211 LA County, by dialing 2-1-1 on any phone in Los Angeles County, or online at: 211LA.org (English and Spanish)

Other Government and Community Based Victim Resources:
For victims of hate crimes and hate incidents outside of Los Angeles County, CA vs Hate can provide assistance with their CA vs Hate Resource Line and Network.

CA vs Hate can be reached at (833) 866-4283 or online at: https://calcivilrights.ca.gov/ca-vs-hate-page/

California Victims of Crime Resource Center: (800) 842-8467 or online at: https://1800victims.org/

California Victim Compensation Board (CalVCB): (800) 777-9229 or online at: https://victims.ca.gov/

Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Victim Services: (800) 380-3811 or online at: https://da.lacounty.gov/victims