By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
Acting on a shocking increase in crimes of hate and bias, King County Council Vice Chair Reagan Dunn introduced legislation that would create a dedicated Hate and Bias Crime Unit within the King County Sheriff’s Office. According to Dunn, there has been a 150 percent increase in cases and it is estimated that one-third of the community is not even reporting hate and racial bias crimes.
In pursuing his legislation, Dunn claims that it would help improve law enforcement’s ability to track, analyze and collect data in an effort to be a more efficient and responsive hate and bias crime agenda.
The King County Prosecutor’s Office has reported a significant rise in hate crimes perpetrated in King County, from 30 cases in 2018 to 59 cases in 2020. Multiple studies show that hate crimes are still vastly underreported.
“We can consider it a success whenever anyone reports a hate crime,” says King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg. “Because it means people who are being targeted do not have to tolerate it and that they trust we [the prosecutor’s office] will handle it responsibly.”
King County Sheriff Mitzi G. Johanknecht recognizes the impact hate and racial bias crimes has on the community and believes Dunn’s legislation is a step in the right direction.
“There is no room for hate and racial bias in our communities,” said Johanknecht. “It comes in many forms, such as bullying, racial epithets, verbal abuse and physical violence toward our LGBTQ or BIPOC neighbors. I thank Councilmember Dunn for recognizing hate is a bipartisan issue and will take all of us, standing together, to conquer.”
Due to recent events, like the targeted killing of Asians Americans in Georgia, and the ongoing problems of racism against African Americans and other marginalized people of color, Dunn believes that now is the time to take strong actions in order to protect the victims and communities that are impacted by hate crimes.
“We must take meaningful action to stop the heinous acts of violence that are occurring in our communities,” Dunn said. “With hate crimes on the rise nationwide and here at home, having a dedicated unit of KCSO deputies would help ensure that these victims are made a priority here in King County.”
“This is long overdue,” continued Dunn. “There have been hate crimes for centuries against the African American community and crimes against others marginalize persons, I have learned over the years that we can do a better job and there is no better time, no more important time to begin the constructive, mindful and sensitive outreach to communities of color in all forms, because we are seeing such an incredible and sad spike in these areas.”
According to officials, reporting these types of crimes is essential if curtailing or even attempting to stop these crimes from happening again. Satterberg stresses the important of community involvement and the reporting of such crimes and how this can help communities put an end hate and racial bias crimes.
“This is one of those crimes that when there is an uptick in reporting you can look at it as a good sign,” says Satterberg. “People realize that they don’t have to tolerate this and that they trust we will take it seriously.”
“So, it (hate crimes) is something right now with the national waves of anti-Asian hate getting national attention, but it has always been there, always been a part of the systemic racism in our community,” Satterberg continued. “Please report it because it allows us to respond and we know it is grossly underreported crime and people shouldn’t have to put up with that and that’s not the community we want to live in.”
