At the beginning of July, Washington state launched a hotline to report hate crimes and bias incidents in King, Spokane, and Clark counties. People can call the nonemergency hotline at 855- 225-1010, or visit atg.wa.gov/report-hate, to connect with representatives who can help them find support—and if they wish, create a report for law enforcement.
According to Washington state law, a hate crime is defined as assault or injury, damage to property, or threats of injury or property damage based on perception of another person’s race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, or mental, physical, or sensory disability.
A bias incident is any “hostile expression of animus” based on the same perceptions of the characteristics above, but which does not qualify as a criminal act.
According to FBI data, Washington state has been among the top five states with the most reported hate crimes since 2018.
The hotline was created by the Legislature in the 2024 session, and involves starting a pilot that will be expanded statewide in 2027, if successful. The counties—one of which was required to be in Eastern Washington—were selected based on demographic data and information from the 2023 Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs’ Annual Crime Report.
In July 2027, the state attorney general Nick Brown will create a yearly report of hate crimes and bias incidents statewide.
