Field Supervisor Responsibilities
The field supervisor shall confer with the initial responding deputy or deputies and take reasonable steps to ensure that necessary preliminary actions have been taken, including responding to the scene in all instances where possible to ensure that such actions are taken. The field supervisor shall request any additional appropriate personnel necessary to accomplish the following:
Provide immediate assistance to the crime victim by:
Expressing the Department’s official position of the importance of these cases and the measures that will be taken to apprehend the perpetrator(s);
Expressing the Department's interest in protecting victims’ anonymity (confidentiality forms, Government Code section 6254) to the extent reasonably possible. Allow the victims to convey their immediate concerns and feelings;
Identifying individuals, organizations, or agencies that may provide victim assistance and support. Local victim assistance resources may include family members or close acquaintances, clergy, or a Department chaplain, as well as community service agencies that provide shelter, food, clothing. childcare, or other related services;
Take reasonable steps to ensure that all relevant facts are documented on an incident and/or arrest report and make an initial determination as to whether the incident should be classified as a hate crime for Federal and/or State reporting purposes;
Notify other appropriate personnel in the chain of command, depending on the nature and seriousness of the offense and its potential inflammatory and/or other negative impact on the community;
In cases of large-scale hate crimes waves, or in circumstances where the potential exists for subsequent hate crimes or incidents, consider directing resources to protect vulnerable sites (such as assigning a deputy or deputies to specific locations that could become targets);
Verify that hate crimes and hate incidents are being properly reported;
Verify adherence to Penal Code section 422.93, which protects hate crimes victims and witnesses from being detained or reported to Federal immigration authorities exclusively for any actual or suspected immigration violation if they have not been charged with or convicted of any crime under State law. Supervisors should also be aware of potential immigration-related relief available to victims of crime (e.g., U-Visa, T-Visa, S-Visa);
Respond to and properly initiate an investigation of any reports of hate crimes or hate incidents committed under the color of authority;
Verify reporting of any suspected extremist crimes (i.e., crimes motivated by terrorist or extremist ideologies/beliefs), which are also bias motivated, to the unit Terrorism Liaison Officer (TLO) and the Hate Crimes Coordinator; and
Make a final determination as to whether the incident should be classified as a hate crime or hate incident.
Watch Sergeant Responsibilities
The watch sergeant shall:
Review all hate crimes and hate incident reports for appropriate classification;
Ensure the deputy documented in the incident report that the victim was provided the brochure entitled “A Brief Guide to Hate Crimes”;
Ensure the deputy documented in the incident report whether the victim wanted their name and address to remain confidential;
Assign all hate crimes to station/unit detectives unless incidents would ordinarily be assigned to Operations Safe Streets Bureau (OSS), Homicide Bureau, Major Crimes Bureau, Arson Explosives Detail, or Special Victims Bureau. These shall be assigned after consultation with the respective on-call investigator;
Assign all hate incidents to patrol;
Ensure that all hate crimes or hate incidents reports shall be considered active;
Special Request Distribution (SRD) all hate crimes and hate incident reports to the Hate Crimes Task Force; and
Ensure all required notifications, including date and time of each notification, are documented in the incident report.
Watch Commander Responsibilities
The watch commander shall:
Ensure an operational log entry has been completed for hate crimes or hate incidents. All hate crimes or hate incidents shall be recorded in the Watch Commander’s Summary Log and documented with a memorandum to the station/unit concerned division chief; and
Notify the station’s/unit’s Hate Crimes Coordinator of the hate crimes or hate incident.
Unit Commander Responsibilities
The unit commander’s involvement in this process provides command emphasis that builds community confidence and maintains the integrity of the community partnership. This is a vital component in the Department’s effort to reduce hate crimes and hate incidents, education and enforcement will reduce the spread of misinformation. Therefore, unit commanders shall:
Ensure key station/unit personnel meet periodically with neighborhood groups and/or residents in targeted communities to provide information and share concerns regarding hate crimes and hate incidents;
Express to the community the Department’s concern regarding, and response to, hate crimes and hate incidents;
Establish liaisons with community-based organizations, leaders, commissions, and task forces that deal with the issue of hate crimes and hate incidents. When a hate crime or hate incident occurs, ensure that these organizations are briefed on actions taken and/or intended to be taken by the Department;
Identify impacted groups to alleviate fears and relay the Department’s concern regarding and response to these hate crimes or hate incidents;
Develop procedures that reduce the potential for violence and provide safety, security, and crime prevention information regarding hate crimes and hate incidents;
Ensure a process is in place to provide direct and referral assistance to victims and/or their families; and
Participate in public meetings on hate-related threats and violence.
Station/Unit Hate Crimes Coordinator Responsibilities
Every station and/or unit shall have a designated Hate Crimes Coordinator.
The station/unit Hate Crimes Coordinator shall:
Review reports to ensure all appropriate reports have been completed and all required information has been included;
Ensure that all hate crimes and hate incident reports have been SRD to the Hate Crimes Task Force;
Serve as liaison to the handling investigator, the Department Hate Crimes Coordinator, the community, and any relevant community-based organizations;
Act as an information resource for deputies at their station/unit regarding hate crimes and hate incidents; and
Expand, where appropriate, existing preventive programs.
Station/Unit Desk and Clerical Staff Responsibilities
Complaint Desk
Information regarding hate crimes or hate incidents received at the complaint desk shall be entered into the Department’s computer-aided dispatch system (CAD), the call assigned to the attention of the appropriate field supervisor and dispatched immediately. “Hate crime” or “hate incident” shall be referenced in the remarks section of the call prior to dispatching.
Clerical Staff
A copy of all approved hate crimes and hate incident reports shall be immediately emailed to the “Hate Crimes Task Force” email distribution group in Outlook, a copy SRD to the Hate Crimes Task Force, and provided to the station/unit Hate Crimes Coordinator.