Targeting a police Officer should be a hate crime – support US IN making it one

We publicly advocate for extending hate crime protections to law enforcement officers. 

We believe assaults on police officers often constitute a HATE CRIME and the law should formally recognize it as such. 

A QUICK GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUE

Hoping to deter deadly attacks against police officers, some states want to expand hate-crime laws, which are traditionally confined to characteristics such as race and ethnicity, to cover people who work in law enforcement.

Nearly every state has a hate-crime statute that increases penalties for offenders motivated by hatred of a victim’s race, religion, sexuality or other personal characteristic.

In May 2016, Louisiana became the first state to add police to the list when it passed “Blue Lives Matter” legislation. Now half a dozen additional states are considering similar changes to their hate-crime laws.

Supporters argue the measures, which are backed by police, are a deterrent and send a strong message to police officers that the community stands behind them. 

See where your state stands on the issue in the interactive graph below: