Understanding and addressing hate crime
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There is no place for acts of hate in our country. The RCMP is actively working to ensure the safety and security of all Canadians.
Hate crimes
A hate crime is a criminal offence committed against a person or property that is motivated in whole or in part by bias, prejudice or hate based on race, national or ethnic origin, language, colour, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, or on any other similar factor.footnote 1
Hate crimes have consequences that reach far beyond a specific incident and are particularly concerning because they:
- cause trauma to victims, families, friends, and communities
- can increase a community's sense of vulnerability and fear of future victimization
- can escalate and prompt retaliation
- can create community unrest
- may prompt individuals to conceal aspects of their social identity
Hate incidents
Hate incidents are similar to hate crimes but do not meet the criminal threshold according to the Criminal Code. In other words, hate incidents are non-criminal actions against a person or property that are motivated by bias, prejudice or hate based on race, national or ethnic origin, language, colour, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression or on any other similar factor.
Examples of hate incidents include:
- sharing discriminatory material in-person or posting it online
- intimidating a person on social media because of their religion
- using racist slurs and language
- insulting someone based on their national or ethnic origin
- making offensive jokes about a person's skin color or sexual orientation
Though hate incidents do not result in criminal charges, they can cause similar impacts and harms to individuals and communities compared to hate crimes.
How to report hate crimes and incidents
If you or someone you know is in danger, call 9-1-1 or your local police for immediate help.
Investigating hate crimes and incidents falls under the mandate of the local police of jurisdiction where the activity takes place. Anyone who sees something suspicious or who feels threatened—in-person or online—should report it to their local police service. If your local police service is the RCMP, please report the crime or incident to your local detachment.
Reporting —no matter how minor something may seem— can help police better target crime prevention efforts in communities. Reporting can help identify trends and, most importantly, prevent a possible escalation towards violence. Together, let's make our communities safer.
National Security Information Network
Hate crimes can escalate to ideologically motivated violent extremism when the perpetrator's goals include the intention of:
- intimidating a portion of the public regarding its security or compelling a government to do something, or refrain from doing something, or
- causing serious violence to persons, property, critical infrastructure, or essential systems
If you perceive that an individual perpetrating hate may be escalating to violent extremism, you are encouraged to contact the RCMP National Security Information Network by phone at 1-800-420-5805 or online at www.rcmp.ca/report-it.
Types of hate crime
There are a number of provisions available within the Criminal Code that address hate crimes.
- Hate propaganda offences
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- Section 318 - Advocating Genocide
- Section 319(1) - Public Incitement of Hatred
- Section 319(2) - Wilful Promotion of Hatred
- Section 319(2.1) - Wilful Promotion of Antisemitism
- Hate propaganda offences - Warrant of Seizure powers
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- Section 320(1) - Warrant of Seizure (publications)
- Section 320.1(1) - Warrant of Seizure (computer systems)
- Section 430(4.1) - Mischief to Property - Religious/Educational, etc.
- Sections 320.101-104; 273.3(1) - Conversion Therapy Offences
- Section 718.2(a)(i) - Sentencing Principles
The sentencing principles provision can increase an offender's sentence for any other offence if that offence was motivated by hate.
For a detailed breakdown of relevant Criminal Code sections, see Hate Crimes and Incidents: An Investigator's Guidebook.
Addressing hate crime in Canada
The RCMP has taken steps to help address and prevent hate crimes and incidents, including:
- Working internally, across policy and operational areas, which better prepares RCMP officers across Canada in their responses to hate
- Collaborating with external partners through the Hate Crimes Working Group and Hate Crimes Network to develop tools and resources, which helps police across Canada better respond to hate crimes and incidents
- Implementing national policy on hate-motivated crime to prompt investigators to become familiar with community resources to better support victims; community policing, including community outreach and engagement, is an important part of preventing and addressing hate crimes
- Dedicating resources to crime prevention and community outreach which includes creating assessment tools to prevent and combat radicalization to violence
- Maintaining strong relationships with Canada’s security and intelligence community, law enforcement agencies, and our Five Eyes; this enables better situational awareness of threats
We are also making a suite of hate crimes training modules and support tools available for frontline officers and investigators to provide foundational and specialized knowledge and information in support of police responses.
Publicly accessible resources are available on the RCMP's Hate crimes and incidents dashboard.
Resources
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