Niraj Warikoo

Detroit Free Press

U.S. Attorney's Office in Eastern Michigan and FBI in Detroit issue statement against hate crimes

Hate crimes in Michigan have soared in the two weeks after the election, according to state

Michigan Governor expresses concern about the increase in hate crimes

U.S. Attorney in Detroit: "We take these crimes very seriously because of the harm they cause"

After a spike in hate crimes in Michigan over the last two weeks, federal officials in Detroit are sending a strong message that they will prosecute them. And Gov. Rick Snyder expressed concern Wednesday about the increase, saying that Michigan should be a safe place for all.

In a statement released this week, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan said: "Hate crimes are one of the highest priorities of the Department of Justice and the FBI because of the devastating impact they have on families and communities."

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"Oftentimes, victims of hate crimes are afraid to come forward or lack the confidence that law enforcement will actively investigate their claims," read the statement. "We want to assure the residents of our district that our offices are committed to investigating and prosecuting hate crimes."

U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said: "We take these crimes very seriously because of the harm they cause to the victim and the fear they create in other members of the same group.”

Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Division of the FBI David Gelios said in the statement: "The FBI won’t stand by idly when hate crimes are committed.

"The FBI is committed to defending the civil rights of everyone," Gelios added. "To that end and in coordination with our local and state partners, we will investigate acts that involve the use of or threat of force against an individual because of his/her race, color, religion, national origin, disability or gender. In addition to harm to a victim or damage done to a victim’s property, hate crimes are meant to threaten and intimidate an entire community."

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The Michigan Department of Civil Rights' community outreach program documented 30 hate incidents in Michigan in the 10 days after the Nov. 8 election, compared with only about seven on average during an entire year.

In addition, the department received 40 phone calls of hate crimes on the Monday after the election. On average, it gets about 23 calls a day. There have been reports of hate attacks against Latinos, Arab Americans, African Americans, Indian Americans and others across the region, including in Hartland, Royal Oak, Grand Rapids and elsewhere. This week, community advocates are investigating a racist flyer against Mexican Americans in a school in Rochester.

In the week after the election, from Nov. 9 to Nov. 16, more than 700 hate crimes were reported nationally, said the Southern Poverty Law Center. Also, the FBI released data on Nov. 13 that showed that hate crimes against Muslims last year jumped to their highest level since 2001, when the Sept. 11 attacks happened.

Contacted by the Free Press, state officials on Wednesday also expressed concern about the increase in hate crimes.

"The governor is concerned and believes Michigan should be a safe place for all residents," said Anna Heaton, a spokesperson for Snyder. "We have been staying in close contact with MDCR (Michigan Department of Civil Rights) and MSP (Michigan State Police ) to ensure we are aware of incidents occurring and how they are handled."

On Nov. 11, the Friday after the election, Snyder released a statement calling for civility, saying: "Any differences — be they in race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or nationality — should not be seen as pillars that divide us but rather as building blocks upon which we can all construct a stronger state and nation together."

Hate crimes increase in Michigan post-election, drawing concern

A spokesperson for Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, Megan Hawthrone, told the Free Press on Wednesday: "We are aware of the increase in incidents and the Attorney General believes, as he always has, that there is absolutely no place for discrimination against any person."

The U.S. Attorney's Office encouraged victims to report bias incidents.

“Hate crimes laws are designed to protect members of all groups, whether they are members of minority groups or majority groups,” McQuade said.

"A hate crime is defined 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," said the release from the U.S. Attorney's Office. "If you, or someone you know, is the victim of a hate crime and feel unsafe, call your local police department immediately. The FBI works with its law enforcement partners to investigate hate crime allegations.

"Success in helping keep our community safe depends on the public’s cooperation and increases when hate crimes are promptly reported and all potential evidence is preserved to assist in the investigation."

Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com or 313-223-4792. Follow him on Twitter @nwarikoo

How to report hate or bias incidents

To file a complaint of a hate incident or to get assistance from the state, call 800-482-3604 or go to www.michigan.gov/MDCR and click on “File a Complaint.” For questions, call 313-456-3700 or e-mail MDCRServiceCenter@michigan.gov

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan said to call local police and "we ... encourage those who find themselves on the receiving end of a hate crime, or are a witness to a hate crime, to call either the FBI at 313-965-2323 or the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 313-226-9151."

To file a report with a national organization that documents hate crimes, Southern Poverty Law Center, go to www.splcenter.org/reporthate.

Welcoming Michigan has issued a guide with more resources and ideas for coping with hate crimes. Go to http://goo.gl/MIJpRx.