Windsor Police have announced the launch of an online tool to make it easier and more accessible for people to report hate crimes and hate-motivated incidents.
In Canada, a hate crime is defined as a criminal act driven by hatred towards someone’s race, ethnicity, language, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, or similar factors.
Hate-motivated incidents may not be considered crimes, but police say are still harmful.
These incidents include name-calling, graffiti, racial insults, or spreading hateful messages.
Police say the new reporting tool will enable individuals to submit detailed accounts of suspected hate crimes and hate-motivated incidents, including relevant information and evidence, from the comfort and safety of their own homes.
The form was developed in an effort to reduce barriers when reporting hate crimes and hate-motivated incidents and provide a better understanding of such incidents so police resources can be directed accordingly.
Police Chief Jason Bellaire says hate crimes and hate-motivated incidents continue to impact individuals and families in Windsor and across Canada.
"By leveraging technology to streamline the reporting process, we hope to empower victims and witnesses to come forward, while also bolstering our ability to effectively respond to incidents of hate," he added.
In 2023, Windsor Police received 32 reports of hate-motivated incidents: 17 involving race or ethnicity, nine involving religion, six involving sexual orientation, and one involving gender.
More information on the online hate crime reporting tool can be found here.