Saud Anwar

Sen. Anwar Joins Colleagues as Bill Creating State Police Hate Crime Task Force Passes Senate

Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) joined his colleagues in the State Senate in passing legislation creating a hate crime task force in the state police, which he proposed. In recent years, reports of hate crimes have grown in Connecticut and nationally; having a unit specifically dedicated to investigating them in the state police will improve awareness of and response to crimes of hatred and bias.

“In recent years, hate crimes have been reported in increasing numbers, most regrettably in the post-COVID-19 rise of crimes perpetrated against Asian-Americans, and we cannot stand by,” said Sen. Anwar. “By providing state police with the resources necessary to investigate and respond to hate crimes and criminal activity by extremists or extremist groups, we supply Connecticut with a valuable tool in reversing the rise of hate crimes. I’m encouraged by my colleagues’ support for this important bill.”

Senate Bill 122, “An Act Establishing A Unit Within The Division Of State Police To Investigate Hate Crimes And Criminal Acts Committed By Extremist Groups,” would put a team in place among Connecticut State Police called the Hate Crimes and Extremist Group Investigative Unit. That unit will seek to prevent and detect any hate crimes, crimes motivated by bigotry or bias against another, and any criminal activity or suspected criminal activity by an extremist or extremist group. The unit may assist any law enforcement unit with such investigation, keep data on such investigations, share that information with any law enforcement unit to assist with further investigations and provide an annual report of hate crimes and crimes motivated by bias and bigotry.

According to FBI statistics, Connecticut saw 76 hate crimes reported in 2019, the most recent year in which data has been compiled. Of those hate crimes, 48 were directed against an individual’s race, ethnicity or ancestry, 16 involved an individual’s religion, 11 involved sexual orientation and one involved gender. A recent report from the Anti-Defamation League tracked 193 incidents of hate, extremism and anti-Semitism in Connecticut, additionally noting the year saw the highest level of white supremacist propaganda circulated in the United States as a whole.