Amid a rise in reported hate crimes, California creates a special hotline

California is officially launching a hotline this week for people to report acts of hate, as the state grapples with a rise in reported hate crimes.

The statewide hotline, California vs. Hate, gives Californians an alternative to contacting law enforcement after a hate incident occurs. It can also connect people with support and resources in the aftermath of an act of hate, which could include mental health support, legal services or assistance with housing.

“It’s not just a black hole where people will report things that happened to them,” said Kevin Kish, director of the California Civil Rights Department. “It’s something that’s going to connect people with resources.”

People who dial (833) 866-4283 — or 833-8NOHATE — will be connected to trauma-informed “care coordinators” who work specifically for the program, Kish said. The hotline can provide translation into more than 200 languages, Kish said. Victims and witnesses can also go online to CAvsHate.org to report incidents.

“We want to know what happened to you, and we want to know what you need,” Kish said. The hotline can also help people contact police or local prosecutors if they want to do so.

Callers do not need to provide their names or other identifying information, although state officials said that confidentiality might not be guaranteed in cases involving child or elder abuse or an imminent threat of violence.

“Whether or not you report anonymously, your identity will not be disclosed without your consent unless required by law,” the CAvsHate website states. It recommends that people call 911 if they are presently in danger or want to immediately contact law enforcement.

Among the state leaders who had pushed for such a hotline is Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Rolling Hills Estates), who said in the past that it would give both victims and witnesses “a safe, anonymous manner” to report hate incidents, especially if they had cultural or language barriers or were undocumented. Kish said the state hotline builds on the efforts of groups such as Stop AAPI Hate and the LA vs. Hate initiative in Los Angeles County, which includes a government hotline reachable through 211.

In California, reports of hate crimes surged nearly 33% between 2020 and 2021, reaching their highest reported level in decades, according to a California Department of Justice report. Hate crimes targeting Black people remained the most common and had increased, as had hate crimes against Asians, Latinos and hate crimes tied to bias against sexual orientation.

Hate crime reports also surged in recent years in Los Angeles County, where county leaders said the increase was partly tied to making it easier to report such attacks through the county hotline, but also probably linked to growing political polarization and violence.

“I have to say that I’m deeply disturbed about what we’re seeing,” Dist. Atty. George Gascón said when the L.A. County numbers were released last year.

Hate crimes have long been underreported, and the statewide numbers are “only a slice of what’s out there,” Kish said. The reason? “A lot of people are not going to report to law enforcement,” and “law enforcement is only reporting out incidents that rise to the level of crimes,” which can leave out other hate incidents.

His hope is that the hotline will give California a fuller picture of the problem, as well as help direct teams of trained mediators to areas in need.