Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)
MEMPHIS, TN—The FBI Memphis Field Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee are encouraging the public to report hate crimes.
“Investigating hate crimes is the highest priority of the FBI’s Civil Rights program due to the devastating impact they have on families and communities,” said Douglas M. Korneski, special agent in charge of the Memphis Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “The FBI is committed to protecting the civil rights of all people, and we will aggressively pursue those who commit criminal offenses based on bias.”
“Criminal civil rights violations are high-priority matters for the Department of Justice and individuals committing these crimes will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Acting United States Attorney.
Defining a Hate Crime
The FBI defines a hate crime as a “criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.”
How to Report
Anyone who has been the victim of a hate crime, or anyone who has witnessed a hate crime, is encouraged to report this information to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. Information may be reported anonymously.
Help us fight hate in our communities together. To learn more about hate crimes, visit https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/civil-rights/hate-crimes and https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes