The number of Coloradans who experienced a hate crime or bias-motivated incident in the last five years is significantly higher than official government data indicates, according to a statewide survey commissioned by ADL Mountain States and Hate Free Colorado. Nearly 3 in 10 survey participants ages 18+, or an estimated 1.25 million Coloradans, said they were targeted with verbal harassment, property damage, and/or physical injury within the last five years.

More than a quarter of Jewish Coloradans ages 18+ (an estimated 19,000) reported experiencing a hate crime or bias-motivated incident in the last five years, which is significantly higher than Colorado’s previously reported hate crime statistics.

The survey also found that, of those who experienced a hate crime or bias-motivated incident within the last five years, only 18 percent reported the incident to police.

Hate Free Colorado, which is led by the ADL Mountain States Region, commissioned the survey to better understand the lived experiences of Coloradans and estimate the incidence of hate crimes and bias-motivated incidents in the last five years, as well as how the incidents were reported – if at all.

The survey was conducted in English and Spanish from May 2-July 7, 2022. Responses were gathered through both a statewide SMS/text message survey and online surveys distributed by Hate Free Colorado partner organizations. A total of 5,177 Coloradans ages 18+ responded to the surveys.

 

Major findings:

• Hate crimes in Colorado are significantly under-represented in official data. In 2020, the FBI received a total of 281 hate crime reports from law enforcement agencies in Colorado. However, the survey found that in the last five years, 28 percent of adult Coloradans (1.25 million) experienced a hate crime or bias-motivated incident.

• Of those who experienced a hate crime or bias-motivated incident, 1 in 7 experienced physical injury, 1 in 4 experienced property damage, and 9 in 10 experienced verbal harassment.

• Of those who experienced a hate crime or bias-motivated incident, 61 percent said it was due to race/ethnicity/ancestry. Members of racial/ethnic minority groups are 1.5-2 times more likely to have experienced a hate crime or incident than white, non-Hispanic Coloradans.

• Those who belong to other impacted groups – based on their religion, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or disability – experienced significantly higher incidences of hate than the average among all Coloradans.

• • More than 1 in 6 Jewish Coloradans and 1 in 4 Muslim Coloradans reported experiencing a hate crime or incident because of their religion
  • One third to one half of transgender and gender-diverse Coloradans experienced a hate crime or incident
  • Coloradans who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or queer are more than 1.5 times as likely as straight Coloradans to have experienced a hate crime or incident
  • Coloradans with disabilities are nearly 1.5 times as likely as persons without a disability to have experienced a hate crime or incident

 

Recommended Actions:

1. Hate Crime Hotlines – Establish non-emergency numbers at the local and/or state level for individuals to report a suspected hate crime.

2. Law Enforcement Training – Expand training opportunities for law enforcement officers who are most likely to interact with individuals targeted with a hate crime or bias-motivated incident. Training should specifically address recognizing indicators of a hate crime, conducting effective victim interviews and filing reports with the proper notes and categorizations.

3. Outreach to Impacted Groups – Create special units or teams within law enforcement agencies to develop relationships with communities that are most frequently targeted with hate crimes and bias-motivated incidents. Share information on agency policies and procedures, as well as victim resources.

4. Education for Impacted Groups – Conduct information and education sessions for community organizations, service providers and non-profit organizations that serve those who are most frequently targeted with hate crimes and bias-motivated incidents. Share information on victim resources and help agencies develop effective processes for handling incident reports from impacted community members.

 

For more on the survey, please visit www.hatefreeco.org.