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Richmond RCMP reported a significant decline in hate crimes and hate incidents reported to police last year.

Photo courtesy Richmond RCMP

Richmond RCMP reports significant decline in hate crimes in 2022

By Richmond Sentinel

Published 12:14 PST, Thu February 16, 2023

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Hate crimes and hate incidents declined in Richmond last year, according to Richmond RCMP’s 2022 year in review report.

The report was presented to the city earlier this week. Overall, the number of reported hate crimes and hate incidents dropped by 24 per cent, from 45 in 2021 to 34 in 2022.

Hate specific offences in the Criminal Code of Canada include “advocating or promoting genocide” and “inciting hatred.” Hate propaganda falls into these two categories. In Canada, hate crimes include these offences, but they also include any criminal offence committed against a person or property, if that offence is motivated by hate.

Whether it be based on race, national or ethnic origin, language, colour, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other similar factor, hate is one of many factors considered by the courts (judge or justice) during sentencing proceedings. That is, hate is considered once an accused person has been convicted of a criminal offence.

A hate incident may be motivated by the same factors as a hate crime, but these are typically incidents where a criminal offence has not been committed. Derogatory, degrading, and distasteful comments may fall into this category if there is no other criminal offence committed at the time.

Richmond RCMP recognizes that both hate crimes and hate incidents have a negative effect on the community, and police are committed to investigating all such complaints thoroughly.

While there was a very slight increase in reported hate incidents—an increase of two from 24 in 2021 to 26 in 2022—the most noticeable statistic was the significant decline in hate crimes reported in 2022. This number dropped from 21 in 2021 to eight in 2022, which represents a 62 per cent drop.

Richmond RCMP has been using a multifaceted approach to these investigations that not only meets federal and provincial policy guidelines, but also recognizes public expectations in the unique and culturally diverse community of Richmond.

Over the past few years, Richmond RCMP has also undertaken a number of proactive initiatives aimed at promoting tolerance and inclusion, while encouraging victims of hate-motivated incidents to report these incidents to police. These include the creation of the Diversity and Inclusion Section, which works with various community partners to recognize the cultural diversity of the city while promoting acceptance, tolerance, and inclusion.

As part of the Richmond RCMP Community Engagement Team, the Diversity and Inclusion Section has access to a variety of resources including victim services, block watch, and other volunteer programs, which all play an important role in victim resilience and recovery.

Last fall, in collaboration with the city, Richmond RCMP also launched a “Hate has no place” poster campaign, which encourages victims and witnesses to call police. The poster itself reflects the city’s diversity, as it incorporates nine different languages in efforts to cross linguistic barriers within the community.

Richmond RCMP’s membership also reflects the diversity within the local community. Currently, nearly half of Richmond RCMP’s membership can speak a second language. While Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Punjabi, Hindi, and French are the most common, Richmond RCMP officers are able to serve in 29 different languages or dialects.

“Richmond RCMP remains fully committed to giving hate crimes and hate incidents our fullest attention and oversight,” says Chief Supt. Dave Chauhan, officer in charge of Richmond RCMP. “The decline in reported incidents may suggest that Richmond RCMP’s no-tolerance approach to hate is working, but now is not the time to relax as a community. Richmond RCMP continues to encourage victims and witnesses to come forward to report these matters to us directly. By doing so, our investigators can get to work without delay, investigating them fulsomely in the first instance.”

The latest report submitted by Richmond RCMP to the city also noted a decline in anti-Asian related hate crimes and hate incidents. When combined, anti-Asian hate crimes and hate incidents made up 52 per cent of the reports to Richmond RCMP in 2020 and 61 per cent in 2021. In 2022, that number dropped to 26 per cent.

“Although this is encouraging, we must remain vigilant, no matter who the victim may be,” says Chauhan. “When a person makes a racist, homophobic, or other abhorrent comment to a stranger, it may not meet the threshold of a criminal offense, but hate is not welcome in our community. We need victims and witnesses to continue reporting these matters to us so we can keep up the pressure. Hate has no place here.”