SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Neighbors gathered in Sacramento Tuesday night to learn how to better protect themselves and loved ones and how to report hate-related violence and harassment in their communities.
"People have the right to express themselves, and that's not a crime and that's what we call a hate incident," said Anthony Ortiz, Sacramento County deputy district attorney.
Knowing the difference between a hate crime and a hate incident is important when reporting it to police.
A hate crime is any offense committed against you or your property because of your race, nationality, religion, gender, disability or sexual orientation.
An example of a hate incident are racial slurs or other kinds of derogatory speech, which are protected by the first amendment and not crimes.
The forum was hosted by ACC Senior Services, My Sister's House and OCA Sacramento. The speakers at the event said reporting hate crimes and hate incidents is important on many levels.
"In our communities and as well as others, we have a lot of language barriers," said Dani Lee, program manager for ACC Senior Services. "There's people that maybe fear the police or fear reporting, and also people that just don't think it's worth it to report."
Many hate crimes and hate incidents go unreported. If anyone is a victim of a hate crime, see a doctor to treat and document any physical injuries, no matter how small. Take pictures of the injuries or property damage, even if police already did so.
Reporting these incidents can also help law enforcement investigate hate crimes.
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