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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