Enhancing Bystander Education and Reporting to Prevent Hate Crimes across the University of Colorado's Four-Campus System

The University of Colorado Boulder's Police Department (CUPD) and Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV) seek to build and deliver a comprehensive approach to hate crimes prevention, intervention, and investigation for the campuses and jurisdictions across the University Colorado (CU) system, including CU Boulder, CU Colorado Springs, and CU Denver. Each campus serves a different demographic population, boasts a unique geographic location, has its own law enforcement agency, and experiences hate-based incidents and crimes. To enhance community safety and promote civil rights, the project goals include to: (1) educate audiences across the campuses and jurisdictions in the CU system (e.g., students, faculty, staff, community members) about hate crimes prevention and intervention (e.g., bystander reporting, Colorado's Safe2Tell) through an engaging, evidence-informed public awareness campaign (e.g., social media, digital media, community events) and (2) train campus officials across the CU system (e.g., law enforcement officers, administrators, victim services) on coordinated strategies for preventing, investigating, and addressing hate-based incidents and hate crimes in higher education. CUPD has assembled a strong and highly experienced multidisciplinary team with researchers, law enforcement officers, marketing experts, hate crimes training consultants, and federal, state and local partners working on hate crimes prevention issues. Project outcomes will include increased public awareness, public engagement, bystander reporting, victim reporting, and law enforcement investigations on hate-based incidents and hate crimes across the CU system. The project will reach approximately 60,000 students, 23,000 faculty and staff, and 60 law enforcement officers and serve as a model for other colleges and universities around the country.