The Federal Bureau of Investigation recently released new hate crime data for 2022, and in Kentucky, fewer of such crimes were reported than in recent years.
In Kentucky, most of the hate crimes reported in 2022 were motivated by race and ethnicity bias, followed by cases involving sexual orientation bias. In other reported cases, religion, gender, disability or multiple types of bias were factors.
Zooming out to the national picture, anti-LGBTQ hate crimes rose sharply in 2022, with more than 11,600 cases reported. That’s the highest number recorded since 1991, when the FBI first began tracking hate crimes. Notably, crimes motivated by anti-transgender bias jumped 35% last year.
It’s worth noting hate crime data reporting by law enforcement agencies to the FBI is voluntary and may not accurately reflect the total number of hate crimes that occur in a given year. As researchers have pointed out, the FBI’s hate crime statistics are flawed.
Here’s what to know about hate crimes in Kentucky, including what protections the state offers and how to report one.
Nationwide data shows hate crimes increased last year. But Kentucky’s numbers were lower
Does Kentucky have a hate crime law?
Kentucky does have a hate crime law, as laid out in Kentucky Revised Statute 532.031
The law provides that a person may be found to have committed a hate crime if they target someone because of their “race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national origin,” the statute reads.
It also includes crimes motivated by someone’s “actual or perceived employment as a state, city, county, or federal peace officer, member of an organized fire department, or emergency medical services personnel.”
KRS 532.031 grants judges the authority in such cases to deny probation or other sentencing reprieves to defendants, and it allows parole boards to delay or deny parole for people convicted of those crimes. However, the decision is left up to authorities and their discretion.
Notably, Kentucky’s hate crime law does not cover crimes motivated by anti-transgender bias.
At the federal level, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act allows the federal government to prosecute hate crimes, including those based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
The federal government defines a hate crime as one committed on the basis of the person’s perceived or actual race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability. The crimes are often violent, such as assault, murder, vandalism, arson or the threat to commit those crimes, even if they aren’t ultimately carried out.
How to report a hate crime in Kentucky
The U.S. Department of Justice advises individuals who are victims of or who have witnessed a hate crime to report it to state and local police first by calling either 911 or your local police station.
The next step is to report the crime directly to the FBI, which you can do online at tips.FBI.gov.
Another option is to contact the FBI by calling 1-800-225-5324, or reach out to your local FBI field office.
If you’re in Lexington or Fayette County, reports can be made to the Lexington Police Department.
“Hate crimes and any crimes can be reported to the Lexington Police Department by calling 911 in an emergency or (859) 258-3600. We encourage anyone who is a victim of a hate crime to come forward and report the crime,” Hannah Sloan, public information officer for the LPD, told the Herald-Leader.
“Detectives in our Personal Crimes Section investigate hate or bias-motivated crimes. The detectives will look into all factors, including whether the crime was hate or bias-motivated, and ensure that the appropriate charges are placed,” Sloan added.
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