Along with several other laws that will go into effect January 1, 2023, is the requirement of the Hate Crimes Investigative Unit within the Connecticut State Police. The unit was established in October 2021; however, Public Act 22-9 codifies the requirement of the unit into law. The Hate Crimes Investigative Unit investigates crimes involving race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity or expression, sex, sexual orientation, and disability.
Hate Crimes in Connecticut
There is no doubt that incidents of hate crimes have increased in the United States and that rate continues to rise. According to FBI statistics, in 2020 (the most recent year of data released), there were more than 8,000 hate crime incidents committed against 11,000 individuals. This was an increase of just under 1,000 incidents from the year before.
Here in Connecticut, there were 102 hate crimes reported to law enforcement, according to the FBI’s data. The motivation behind the crimes was broken down to the following:
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