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Daily Herald opinion: New confidential service in Illinois should bring help to victims of hate crimes

Gov. JB Pritzker and other state leaders on Wednesday announced the launch of a confidential service called Help Stop Hate to offer support and resources to victims of hate crimes, which are on the rise throughout the country.

It’s tragic that discrimination-driven attacks — both physical and verbal — have brought us to this moment. But the need for such a service is clear: Hate crimes hit an all-time high last year in the U.S., according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with 11,862 incidents reported.

And not all are reported, state officials said. Hate crimes go unreported because members of some communities might not view an act as criminal or might be afraid to call the police.

The Help Stop Hate service will allow victims and, importantly, witnesses to report what happened anonymously and to seek help from those trained to respond. The service is free, confidential and available in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, Tagalog, Polish and Hindi.

Reports can be made anonymously by calling (877) 458-HATE from noon to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday or anytime online at ILStopHate.org. While law enforcement will not be involved, the Illinois Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes can share data made anonymous that will help create a broader picture of the frequency and location of these crimes, thus pinpointing areas of concern and where additional resources might be needed.

“By better understanding the landscape of hate in Illinois and the resources available to people affected by it, Illinois will be better equipped to stop and prevent hate,” said Elana Kahn, executive director of the Illinois Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes.

In addition, a statewide outreach campaign will spread the word to communities most impacted by hate crimes, include Blacks, Latinos, religious minorities, Asian Americans and LGBTQIA people.

These are difficult times. Divisive and hate-filled election rhetoric has demonized immigrants, and war in the Middle East has led to a spike in hate crimes against both Muslims and Jews. Racism festers in our cities and suburbs. People are targeted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Help Stop Hate won’t halt any of that. But it will give victims and targeted communities much-needed support. It will also send a message that intimidation and discrimination are taken seriously in Illinois, birthplace of the “Hate has no home here” campaign a few years back.

There is more to be done, of course, to make that beautiful sentiment even close to true here and elsewhere. And state leaders should use what’s learned through Help Stop Hate to shape important next steps.

We look forward to seeing where they lead.

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