(WAVY) — Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring announced that he’s joining a bipartisan coalition of 35 attorneys general in urging Congress to pass the Jabara-Heyer No Hate Act.
It would provide state and local governments along with law enforcement agencies with the tools and resources to understand, identify, and report hate crimes.
“Hate crimes are designed to strike fear in entire groups of people and just one act of violence tears at the very fabric of our communities,” said Herring.
Leaders hope if there’s a greater understanding of what a hate crime is, they’d be better equipped to prevent them.
According to Herring’s office, the legislation aims to help correct inaccurate or incomplete data by providing federal grants to improve hate crimes reporting.
In a letter to the public, the coalition says that without reliable statistics, the government can’t properly understand, investigate, and prosecute hate crimes. They’re hoping reliable statistics will also lead to providing appropriate resources to survivors.
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