
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Legislature established a hate crime database this year to be administered by the Department of Human Rights where Attorney General Keith Ellison says people can submit evidence of discrimination or bias crimes, which can be used in future investigations or prosecutions.
“Somebody may have been called the N-word, picked up a flyer saying ‘Only whites were welcome in the neighborhood,’ there might be a spray painting and you don’t know who did it, but see it’s a message that signals intolerance and hate by motivation,” Ellison said. “These community organizations can now share the information with the Department of Human Rights who will write a report.”
Ellison said the same law that created the hate crime database also included training for police to identify bias crimes. He is encouraging citizens to report anyone being harassed or bullied because of their race, religion, or ethnicity.
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