San Diego has seen an upswing in hate crimes, says local law enforcement — and the numbers bear it out. The county says there has been a 39% increase in reported hate crimes.
In response, community leaders and law enforcement have announced a new San Diego Crime Stoppers “Hate Crime Fund,” which is intended to aid in the investigation and prosecution of crimes committed against vulnerable populations.
The establishment of the fund, which has already received more than $18,000 in donations, was spearheaded by Nicole Murray-Ramirez, who is a Human Relations Commissioner, chair of the San Diego GLBTQ Historic Task Force, and Hate Crime Fund founder.
“Today, we are sending a strong message to anyone thinking of committing a hate crime in San Diego County,” said Nicole Murray-Ramirez in a statement. “Commit a hate crime and there will be a $2,000 reward for your capture.”
Last year, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office prosecuted 30 hate crime cases. Of those, 20 were racist attacks and seven of the crimes targeted the LGBTQ+ community, an increase in both categories from the year before.
The San Diego Police Department also announced the creation of a new Hate Crimes Unit, which will centralize and coordinate the investigation of hate crimes that occur within the city of San Diego.
Anyone with information regarding hate crimes is encouraged to contact SDPD at (619) 531-2000 or San Diego Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. Tips with information leading to the arrest of hate crime suspects on felony charges could result in a $2,000 reward, supported by the fund.
