Develop viable options for an action plan that supports the City Council’s directive to review and evaluate Hate Crime Response for the City of Minneapolis.

The City of Minneapolis, led by the Civil Rights Department, proposes to implement a city-wide Hate Crime Response Campaign (the Campaign) to support a staff directive on hate crimes from the Minneapolis City Council. The purpose is to execute a comprehensive outreach, engagement, and public education effort to prevent and address hate crimes and bias-motivated incidents within the City of Minneapolis. The Campaign will utilize a three-prong method that centers on a community-based approach and relies on collaboration with strategic city departments and partnerships with local organizations. Relevant activities and intended outcomes include increasing and expanding community outreach efforts, especially to those communities most affected by hate crimes; improving hate crime reporting mechanisms; developing messaging that is culturally appropriate and accounts for language barriers; and combating limited resources in local law enforcement agencies without the appropriate resources or expertise to effectively track and report hate crimes/incidents.

Expected outcomes regarding community and resident needs include: (a) A diverse, inter-departmental team designated to address and resolve the needs of victims while providing resources and support to victims; (b) Collaboration with local advocacy organizations in order to build transparency, awareness, and trust with local communities and develop a culture of inclusion; and (c) Provision of hate crime educational materials in order to clarify and encourage reporting processes.

Expected outcomes regarding the efficacy of various city departments involved in the Campaign include: (a) Training and assistance to local law enforcement agencies, (b) Developing partnerships between law enforcement agencies and community stakeholders, (c) Enhancing collaboration between the city of Minneapolis and local law enforcement agencies in order to bridge the service gap between the city’s legal capacity to respond to hate crimes, and (d) Building local law enforcement capacity to address and investigate hate crimes.

Intended beneficiaries include city residents, victims and their families, local advocacy organizations, and communities that are most impacted by hate crimes and bias-motivated incidents.