Group to track hate incidents in province

Website will map and document public’s reports

The Alberta Hate Crimes Committee is at work on a platform where the public can report hate incidents in the province.

Irfan Chaudhry, a researcher with the committee, introduced the idea during a panel discussion at the University of Alberta’s International Week on Thursday.

The committee had planned to release it in March, but might do so sooner.

“The purpose is to create a space for folks to document those hate incidents that maybe aren’t classified as crimes,” Chaudhry said.

Hate crimes are criminal offences motivated by hate, prejudice or bias toward a group of people. The bias could be against a particular race, nationality, religion, ethnic origin or sexual orientation. Not all hate incidents are criminal in nature.

According to the Edmonton Police Service, examples of hate crimes include violence, threats of violence and destruction of religious property. Examples of hate incidents include the use of racial slurs or intimidation against groups or individuals. According to Statistics Canada, there were 1,295 police-reported hate crimes in 2014.

Chaudhry said it’s important for the public to be aware of and document hate incidents, even if they aren’t classified as crimes.

The website’s interactive map would show the public where reported hate incidents have happened in Alberta. The site would also allow people to send optional responses to the hate crimes committee with more details and requests for assistance.

The website is not designed to discourage people from reporting incidents to the police. In fact, the committee includes law enforcement officers and, according to Chaudhry, almost every police force in Alberta on the committee has been “fully supportive of the website.”

Renee Vaugeois, president of the AHCC’s executive committee, said the tool could even help improve relations between the public and the police.

“If somebody goes to report a hate incident and it can’t be processed, it creates that distrust that exists between law enforcement and community,” she said.

Some hate crimes are never reported because of that mistrust. Though Vaugeois said the committee has been hearing about hate crimes increasingly from Albertans since Donald Trump became president.

“I drove into Cold Lake recently and on the side of a wall I saw, ‘this is white land,’” Vaugeois recalled.

“We need tools that are outside of law enforcement to enable us as a community to respond in some way.”