DATE=1/8/98

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-224989

TITLE=U-S HATE CRIMES (L ONLY)

BYLINE=JIM MALONE

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT: 



INTRO:   HERE IN WASHINGTON THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION 

SAYS THAT MORE THAN 87-HUNDRED HATE CRIMES WERE REPORTED AROUND 

THE UNITED STATES DURING 1996.  THE STATISTICS COVER HATE CRIMES 

BASED ON RACE, RELIGION AND SEXUAL PREFERENCE AND U-S ATTORNEY 

GENERAL JANET RENO SAYS THEY ARE CRIMES WHICH IN THE PAST WERE 

OFTEN NOT REPORTED TO POLICE.  MORE NOW FROM V-O-A NATIONAL 

CORRESPONDENT JIM MALONE.



TEXT:   ATTORNEY GENERAL RENO ANNOUNCED THE F-B-I HATE CRIME 

FIGURES AT HER WEEKLY NEWS CONFERENCE. THE STATISTICS SHOW THAT 

IN 1996 THERE WERE MORE THAN FIVE-THOUSAND HATE CRIMES REPORTED 

BASED ON RACE, MORE THAN 14-HUNDRED BASED ON RELIGION AND MORE 

THAN ONE-THOUSAND CASES BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION. IN ADDITION,

940 CASES WERE LINKED TO ETHNIC BIAS.



THE F-B-I SAYS SIXTY PERCENT OF THE VICTIMS IN HATE CRIMES DURING

1996 WERE ATTACKED BECAUSE OF THEIR RACE. 42-PERCENT OF THOSE 

VICTIMS WERE BLACK.



THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SAYS A LACK OF INFORMATION ON HATE CRIMES IN

RECENT YEARS MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO SAY IF CRIMES MOTIVATED BY 

RACIAL, RELIGIOUS OR SEXUAL DIFFERENCES ARE ON THE INCREASE. BUT 

MS. RENO SAYS MORE LOCAL AND STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ARE 

REPORTING ON HATE CRIMES EACH YEAR, PROVIDING FEDERAL OFFICIALS 

WITH INFORMATION WHICH IN THE PAST WAS HARD TO FIND.



                        /// RENO ACT. ///



         HATE CRIMES HAVE LONG GONE UNDER-REPORTED AND WE NEED 

         SURVEYS LIKE THIS TO UNDERSTAND THE DEPTH OF THE 

         PROBLEM.



                        /// END ACT. ///



/// OPT /// IN 1995, FOR EXAMPLE, SOME 96-HUNDRED LAW ENFORCEMENT

AGENCIES AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS REPORTED ON HATE CRIMES AROUND 

THE COUNTRY. THAT FIGURE JUMPED TO MORE THAN 11-THOUSAND IN 1996 

AND ATTORNEY GENERAL RENO SAYS THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES 

COVERING 84-PERCENT OF THE U-S POPULATION ARE NOW PARTICIPATING 

IN THE F-B-I'S CRIME REPORTING PROGRAM. /// END OPT ///



ATTORNEY GENERAL RENO HAS ASKED ALL 93 U-S ATTORNEYS AROUND THE 

COUNTRY TO APPOINT HATE CRIME COORDINATORS. THEY ARE EXPECTED TO 

ATTEND A MEETING IN WASHINGTON NEXT MONTH TO DISCUSS STRATEGIES 

TO COUNTER HATE CRIMES.



IN THE MEANTIME, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SAYS THAT FEDERAL OFFICIALS

WILL BE SPENDING TIME AND MONEY FOCUSING ON PREVENTING HATE 

CRIMES:



                        /// RENO ACT. ///



         AS I TRAVEL ACROSS THIS COUNTRY, I SEE MORE ANTI-BIAS 

         TRAINING AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION PROGRAMS THAN EVER 

         BEFORE IN OUR SCHOOLS AND IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND I SEE 

         THEM WORKING. THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND THE DEPARTMENT 

         OF EDUCATION WILL SOON DISTRIBUTE A HATE CRIMES 

         PREVENTION MANUAL TO HELP TEACHERS GET YOUNG PEOPLE TO 

         UNDERSTAND THAT THEY SHOULD CELEBRATE THEIR DIFFERENCES 

         AND NOT FIGHT OVER THEM.



                        /// END ACT. ///



THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION ALSO SUPPORTS LEGISLATION PENDING IN 

CONGRESS WHICH WOULD EXPAND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S RIGHT TO 

INVESTIGATE AND PROSECUTE HATE CRIME CASES BASED ON SEXUAL 

ORIENTATION. (SIGNED)



NEB/JBM



 



08-Jan-98 12:21 PM EST (1721 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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