The City Attorney’s Office considers hate crimes to be very serious. We are committed to cracking down and prosecuting misdemeanor hate crimes that occur. The City Attorney’s Office encourages victims and witnesses to report hate crimes. If it is a crime in progress, and medical assistance is needed, or there is serious personal injury or property damage, you should call 9-1-1. If it is not an emergency, you should report the hate crime by calling San Diego Police Department at: 619-531-2000 or San Diego Police Crime Related Information.
If you would like to report a hate crime in the unincorporated (non-city) areas, the Sheriff's Department provides generalized patrol and investigative services. Please contact the non-emergency dispatch at 858-565-5200.
The California Penal Code Section 422.55 refers to hate crimes as:
(a) “Hate crime” means a criminal act committed, in whole or in part, because of one or more of the following actual or perceived characteristics of the victim:
- Disability
- Gender
- Nationality
- Race or ethnicity
- Religion
- Sexual orientation
- Association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics
(b)“Hate crime” includes, but is not limited to, a violation of Section 422.6
The City Attorney’s Office participates in the San Diego Regional Hate Crimes Coalition, a group formed to unite law enforcement agencies with community-based organizations to tackle the issues presented by hate crimes in the community.