Orleans Parish District Attorney's (OPDA) Special Victims' Unit (SVU) Transparency and Accountability of Crimes of Hate

By their very nature, hate crimes strike at the heart of our democratic values and threaten to undermine the very tenets of our society. By helping our New Orleans communities protect themselves against these cowardly acts of violence, the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office continues to make public safety a top priority. Bigotry and hate have no place in New Orleans communities, and OPDA will do everything in its power to protect vulnerable people from those who would lash out against them due to their ideology, belief, or mission.

Crimes motivated by hate are not just attacks on individual people but on our communities. It is the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office’s priority to combat hate crimes by building trust between law enforcement and communities, ensuring culturally competent victim services, and prosecuting violations to the fullest extent of the law while taking into account restorative practices in crafting penalties.