JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The FBI and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office kicked off a year-long campaign to encourage the reporting of potential hate crimes.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Rachel Rojas joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, Homeland Security Investigations, State Attorney’s Office at JSO headquarters Thursday to announce the public awareness campaign to help improve understanding of what constitutes a federal hate crime and how to report potential instances to law enforcement.
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According to the FBI’s 2020 hate crime statistics, the number of reported hate crimes has increased by more than 20% over the past five years (2020: 7,764, 2016: 6,121). However, despite the steady increase year-over-year, federal civil rights investigators believe the number of incidents could be even higher.
The FBI has determined that hate crimes often go unreported for a variety of reasons, including fear of retaliation, privacy concerns or a lack of understanding or trust in the justice system.
“Hate crimes are not only an attack on the victim -- they are meant to threaten and intimidate an entire community, which is why investigating hate crimes was recently elevated to a top national security priority for the FBI,” Rojas said in a statement. “We want all victims to know we are here for them and together we can attack the problem of hate crimes head-on. FBI Jacksonville and our local, state and federal law enforcement partners are committed to doing our part to help open lines of communication with anyone who might be living in fear.”
The campaign will include posts on social media, billboards, mobile apps and local print publications in diverse areas including African-American, Hispanic, Asian-American, Jewish and LGBTQ communities and businesses.