City of Huntington Beach
Office of the City Manager
2000 Main Street, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
www.huntingtonbeachca.gov/HRC
Report onHate crimes& hateincidents
2021-2022
HUNTINGTON BEACH
HUMAN RELATIONS COMMITTE
About the Human RelationsCommittee
02 Founded in 1996, Huntington Beach Human
Relations Committee (HBHRC)'s mission is to
inspire and promote mutual understanding,
respect, safety and the well-being of all in our
community through education and engagement.
We envision Huntington Beach as a community
where all people feel respected, valued, and are
free from discrimination and violence.
The HBHRC provides year-round programs and
develops initiatives to promote meaningful
interaction, education, and engagement with the
community. Some examples include HB Listens,
Student Day of Dialogue, Cultural Cinema
Showcase, Community Summit, and Youth Voices
events.
We also work closely with the Huntington Beach
Police Department to track reported hate crimes
and hate incidents in the City and conduct a wide
range of community engagement and education
activities.
The HBHRC also establishes ongoing
partnerships with various community groups to
coordinate citywide efforts towards its
mission.
Committee Members
2021- 22
V.C. Rhone*, Chair
Debbi Parrott, Vice Chair
Jonathan Smith, Secretary
Vanessa Chow*, Member
Elaine Keeley, PhD., Member
Hemesh Patel*, D.O., Member
Iliana Velazquez*, Member
Timothy Stuart, Esq., Member
*Hate Crimes Directives Ad Hoc Committee
We also acknowledge former Committee member,
Teresa Carlisle who assisted with this report.
HBHRC 2022
Student day of dialogue
background
03 On April 5, 2021, the City Council directed the HBHRC to work with the Huntington Beach Police Department (HBPD) and City staff to publish quarterly data summaries of reported hate crimes and hate incidents on the City website and submit recommendations to address these issues based on community stakeholder input. This was partly in response to an increasing number of hate crimes and incidents against Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) throughout Orange County and to support our policy against any form of hate-motivated crimes.
Ultimately, this report will assist the City to bolster its strong stand against all forms of hate, offer more transparency to the public, and continuously work together toward creating a welcoming environment where every resident, business, and visitor is valued and respected with a sense of belonging.
The Process
Huntington Beach’s statistics on reported hate crimes and incidents tracked by the HBPD.
Five meetings with the City's HBPD liaison to better understand the City's existing practices of tracking and handling cases involving hate crimes and incidents.
Benchmark research on other cities and their approaches to handling hate crimes and hate incidents (Anaheim, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Santa Ana, and Westminster).
Community Stakeholders meeting on August 24, 2022 with 52 invites of faith leaders, community leaders, Visit HB staff, and business owners.
The HBHRC formed an ad-hoc committee to work on this Council directive and has employed the following data collection methods to develop recommendations:
1. 2.
3. 4.
research Results
Shame and embarrassment
Not knowing how to report
Lack of support
Fear of reprisal or retaliation
An FBI study[1] shows that hate crimes and hate incidents are grossly underreported. Some barriers and challenges that victims and witnesses experience include but are not limited to:
Another barrier is the community’s lack of understanding of what constitutes a hate crime and a hate incident and what is reportable. At the Community Stakeholders meeting, many expressed the importance of educating the community about clear definitions of hate crimes and hate incidents so that not only both cases can be reported and properly addressed but also we can raise greater public awareness and help deter them in the future.
[1] Ronald L. Davis and Patrice O ’ Neill, “ The Hate Crimes Reporting Gap: Low Numbers Keep Tensions High, ” the Police Chief 83 (May 2016) web-only article 04 A hate crime is a crime against a person, group or property motivated by the victim’s real or perceived social group, based on disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.
A hate incident is broadly defined as an action or behavior motivated by hate but which, for one or more reasons, is not a crime, such as name calling, insults, posting or displaying hate materials in property damage and in public places. Hate speech may be protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution; however, not only do these incidents negatively impact the victims but also our community at large.
According to the California Department of Justice, both are defined as:
HBPD Reporting & Response Protocol
Once HBPD receives a 911 or non-emergency call from a victim, witness, or other reporting party, HBPD officers are dispatched to the scene.
The scene is made safe and medical attention is provided, if needed.
The victim(s) and witness(es) are interviewed.
Resources are provided to victims as per the California Constitution, Article 1, Section 28(b): Victim's Bill of Rights Act of 2008, also called Marsy's Law named after a US Santa Barbara college student who was stalked and killed by her ex-boyfriend. The Marsy's Card (available in 12 languages) includes information about rights of and protections to victims of crime and their families. The HBPD provides this card to all victims of any crime, including hate crimes, as well as other resources such as the City’s System of Care information (Huntington Beach Navigation Center, Be Well Mobile Crisis Response program, etc.).
HBPD Officers in the field work to identify and arrest the suspect(s), if warranted.
The officer(s) assigned to the case documents the investigation in a police report. An immediate supervisor review, approve, and report it to the Watch Commander.
The Watch Commander emails a synopsis of the crime incident to OC Human Relations and HBPD’s hate crime coordinator, who also serves as the HBPD Liaison to the HBHRC and reports such incidents to the HBHRC at their monthly meetings.
The Watch Commander sends a daily log of documented crimes in a separate email communication, including hate incidents/hate crimes, to the Police Chief and the City Council.
On May 6, 1996, the Huntington Beach City Council unanimously adopted a Declaration of Policy About Human Dignity. Over the years, the City has adopted policies and resolutions to stand against all forms of intolerance, racism, and hate, and support diversity, equality and inclusion in Huntington Beach. Most recently, the City Council officially denounced all hate crimes and reaffirmed the City's commitment to safety and inclusivity for all at the April 5, 2021 Council meeting.
The City works closely with the HBPD, the HBHRC, and the community to educate and encourage people to report any hate crimes and hate incidents, so that we can help and support those affected in a timely manner.
Hate Crime
1. 2.
3. 4.
5. 6.
7. 8.
05 If HBPD officers determine that no crime has occurred at the scene but there was a hate incident, no crime report is taken. However, a call number is generated and the incident is documented.
The officer advises the sergeant and the Watch Commander, who follows the same reporting protocol as Hate Crime above.
Unlike hate crimes, it is not required to report hate incidents to the DOJ, but the HBPD currently tracks them separately in its crime reports.
9. The crime report is forwarded to the Crimes Against Persons detective sergeant, who then assign the case to a proper detective.
10. The detective conducts any needed follow up, determines if the elements of California Penal Code 422.55(a) apply, files the case with the District Attorney’s office. The CPC 422.55 outlines what is considered to be a hate crime - crime committed due to the offender’s perceptions about the victim’s traits.
11. If it is determined as a hate crime, the HBPD will report it to the Department of Justice (DOJ) monthly.
Hate Incident
1. 2.
3. HBPD Officers Training
All police officers and supervisors receive training every year on how to respond to hate crimes and hate incidents. As part of their “Implicit/Unconscious Bias and Strategic Communication” training, the HBPD personnel discuss diverse communities in the City and how to lower/remove barriers for victims to report and receive timely help.
Sending letters of support to those impacted by hate
crimes/incidents with resources and contact info.
Identifying and removing barriers to reporting hate
crimes and incidents.
Publishing the total number of hate crimes and incidents on a monthly or quarterly basis, in order to promote
transparency and public engagement.
Removing the stigma of being a “victim” of a hate crime by offering a safe platform for survivors to share stories or testimonials and/or organizing support meetings for
those impacted by hate crimes and incidents.
Community Stakeholder Survey Polls
Among the Community Stakeholder meeting participants,
over 65% of them indicated that they think hate crimes/hate incidents have generally increased in Huntington Beach in the last five years. A vast majority of them (62.5%) also identified law enforcement as the first point of contact if they were the victim of a hate crime or hate incident.
The group discussed several ways to address hate
crimes/incidents and further support people impacted:
Youth Voices HB Essay & Art Contest hosted by the HBHRC 13 TOTAL REPORTED HATE
CRIMES/INCIDENTS
Number of reported hate crimes and hateincidents motivated by race/ethnicity,national origin, sexual orientation and/orgender identity during 2021.
Based on the 2021 OC Hate Crimes Report by
OC Human Relations Commission, hate
crimes have been on the rise with a 165%
increase in reported hate crimes and hate
incidents in the last five years in the
County.
Compared to 5 years ago, anti-LGBTQ
related hate crimes/incidents have increased
by 21-fold, anti-AAPI communities by 50-
fold, and anti-Semitic cases by 26-fold. One
third of the reported hate crimes and hate
incidents took place in a public area such as
parks or streets.
Last year alone, a total of 1,763 hate crimes
were reported in California; in Orange
County, there were 97 reported hate crimes
and 301 hate incidents.
Huntington Beach, like other communities,
has been experiencing similar trends in
recent years. In 2021, Huntington Beach had
a total of 8 reported hate crime cases and 5
reported hate incident cases. The City also
responded to several cases of anti-Semitic
flyers distributed at our neighborhoods in
2021 and 2022.
55% of 2021 cases were motivated by
race/ethnicity/ancestry among all cases.
Religion-motivated cases constituted 30%, all
of which targeted the Jewish community. The
rest (15%) were related to sexual orientation
or gender identity.
Huntington Beach Hate Crime/IncidentStatistics
06 2021 DataHuntington Beach
YEAR-TO-YEAR DATA
REPORTED HATE CRIMES
Track &Post HateCrime Data
Track &Post HateIncidentData
CitizenAdvisoryBody
DedicatedCity Staff DedicatedWebpage Resources Published Huntington
Beach YES NO
YES - Human
Relations
Committee
YES YES YES; info on
how to report
Anaheim NO NO NO NO NO NO
Buena Park NO NO
YES - Human
Relations
Committee
YES YES NO
Costa Mesa YES NO NO NO NO Info on how to
report
Irvine YES YES YES; DEI
Committee YES YES
Info on how to
report;
resources
Santa Ana YES NO NO NO NO
Yes; brochures
and definition
online
City Comparisons
07 According to the CA Dept. of Justice, all other
OC benchmark cities experienced an increase
in reported hate crime cases (except Costa
Mesa & Westminster).
It is important to note that this data includes
reported hate crime cases, not fully reflecting
the number of unreported cases that may
have happened in these comparison cities.
During the course of a year, the HBHRC also
studied other cities and spoke with their
community leaders and law enforcement
officials about how hate crimes and hate
incidents are handled in their cities.
findings
08 Recommendations
Any act of hate against one person is an act against the community as a whole. There is no place for hate in Huntington Beach. As such, the Huntington Beach Human Relations Committee recommends the following:
The City’s DEI website: www.huntingtonbeachca.gov/DEI
The City's HBHRC webpage: www.huntingtonbeachca.gov/HRC The HBPD website: www.hbpd.org or subset page dedicated to hate crimes & resources B. Plan and implement a system to track hate crimes and hate incidents and publish the quarterly report on the City’s website.
Currently, the HBPD tracks hate crimes to be reported to the Department of Justice via their reporting system. The HBPD began to manually document and track hate incidents since 2021 and is in the process of updating its centralized crime data/reporting software system, which will be implemented in mid-2023.
This progress will enable HBPD officers to track, report, and address both hate crimes and hate incidents.
Additionally, the HBHRC recommends cross reporting of aggregated data of hate crimes and hate incidents between the HBPD, the HBHRC, and the OC Human Relations (OCHR) regularly, so that the statistical information is all consistent. It is important to continue current practice of having the HBPD Liaison to the HBHRC attend monthly HBHRC meetings and address any hate crimes and incidents that occurred that month. A quarterly statistic report with aggregated data without confidential information should be submitted by the Police Chief's designee to the City Manager's Office and the HBHRC via its staff liaison.
The same report should be also submitted to the OCHR.
The HBHRC will use such data to identify and discuss any trends to develop community engagement and prevention activities accordingly. The quarterly report could be uploaded and published on the following City’s website pages along with the resource toolkit:
A. Provide support to victims and persons impacted by hate and direct the HBHRC to create and help the HBPD distribute a Resource Tool Kit, which includes brochures, a letter of support, and community resources.
As the first point of contact for the victims and those affected by hate, the HBPD can incorporate this resource tool kit into their handheld device system to provide information during or after the incident. This kit may include an HBHRC-made postcard with a QR code to a dedicated site with all these resources and a phone number to call to follow up on their case.
A new letter of support has been drafted by the HBHRC Ad-hoc Committee for consideration that reaches out to victims and those affected by hate crimes and/or hate incidents.
09 Hosting an annual or biennial community team building event, in partnership with the City; Conducting more preventative training by the OCHR or other specialized partners for the HBHRC members, City staff, and community leaders;
Expanding the HBHRC's efforts to engage youth members as our social justice leaders and bolster their voices against hate across their schools, neighborhoods, and online communities; and/or Partnering with the HBPD’s Neighborhood Watch programs to provide information and educational materials to engage the community on issues of hate crimes and hate incidents.
C. Support the HBHRC to plan, promote, and implement meaningful community engagement opportunities such as:
Recommendations
Any act of hate
against one person is
an act against the
community as a whole.
Request the City to consider adding more financial
support to hire/partner with a subject-matter-
expert(s) in human rights, DEI (diversity, equity,
and inclusion), and/or community engagement.
Having an expert would benefit the City to
conduct a more thorough examination of the
specific needs of the City and further provide a
more coordinated anti-hate, anti-discrimination
effort to the City team and its residents.
Request the City to define and/or expand roles and
responsibilities of the HBHRC. In reviewing
common practices of Boards, Committees, and
Commissions of the other municipalities, the
HBHRC Ad-hoc subcommittee has noted that some
cities use committees while others use boards or
commissions. For example, the City of San Diego's
Human Relations Commissioners are empowered to
draft and promulgate regulations, investigate
policy, and mediate disputes of discrimination,
exclusion, and bias. By understanding these
different approaches, the Ad-hoc subcommittee
recommends the City complete a needs
assessment on the HBHRC’s roles and
responsibilities.
Other recommendations for future consideration
include:
Huntington Beach City Council
March 31, 2022
10 2021 Attorney General Hate Crime Report - https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press- docs/Hate%20Crime%20In%20CA%202021%20FINAL.pdf
2021 OCHR Hate Crimes Report - https://www.ochumanrelations.org/wp- content/uploads/2022/09/Hate-Crime-Report-2021-_final.pdf OCHR Guidelines for Responding to Hate -
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vCAmNmEm9P8iXmsFa5a_sF5G2yjYB8d1/view?usp=sharing HBHRC Old Hate Crime Victim Letter of Support -
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BtgQmMrKNB_glOyrZdGIIEbYMqrmokCM/view?usp=sharing Recommended Revised Letter of Support for Those Impacted by Hate - https://drive.google.com/file/d/19DDtN805PZKAk17nf63U8sZeI9t8584F/view?usp=sharing Los Angeles Sheriff's Department - https://lasd.org/transparency City of Irvine - https://www.cityofirvine.org/irvine-police-department/reporting-hate-crimes-and-hate- incidents
LA vs. Hate - www.lavshate.org
Report Hate Crimes in Orange County - hatecrime.211oc.org Anaheim Police Department How to File a Report - https://www.anaheim.net/1643/File-a-Police-Report Buena Park Human Relations Committee -
https://buenapark.com/human_relations_committee/index.php Long Beach Equity & Human Relations Commission - https://www.longbeach.gov/health/healthy- living/office-of-equity/human-relations-commission/
Costa Mesa's Victim and Community Resources - https://www.costamesaca.gov/city-hall/city- departments/police/police-information/victim-and-community-resources Irvine's Hate Crimes and Hate Incidents Page - https://www.cityofirvine.org/irvine-police- department/reporting-hate-crimes-and-hate-incidents
The San Diego Human Relations Commission - https://www.sandiego.gov/human-relations The City of Santa Ana's Hate Crimes page with downloadable brochures - https://www.santa- ana.org/hate-crime-reports/
The City of Westminster Hate Crimes vs. Hate Incidents Chart: https://www.westminster- ca.gov/departments/police/services/investigations-bureau/hate-crimes Hate crime data & related information
Support Letter to victims and those affected
Research on other municipalities/agencies
References