The new portal has been established in response to the continued increase in hate crimes and bias incidents in Maryland, according to Attorney General Anthony Brown. The Maryland Attorney General's Office recently launched a new online portal residents can use to report hate crimes and bias incidents. According to Brown, 465 hate crimes and hate bias incidents were reported in 2022 compared to 388 reports in 2021. This is over double those reported 10 years ago.
According to Brown, "For too long, hate crimes have been underreported and underestimated, but victims don’t have to suffer in silence. I am listening. This new portal is a safe place to speak up. It will help us all understand how widespread these incidents are, so we can better address them."
The portal's reporting form will be used to track hate crimes and bias incidents in Maryland and to help identify trends. The information collected through the portal will also help officials better respond to hate crimes in the state. All reports can be submitted anonymously. Residents should use the portal only after reporting the incident to the police. The portal also contains information to help Marylanders identify hate crimes and resources for victims. Whether victim or bystander, residents are urged to report the hate crime or bias incident.
