Bias Crimes Unit

>> Go to the Hate Crime Dashboard
>> Information about Hate Crimes, Bias Incidents, and Reporting

About Us

The Seattle Police Department is dedicated to investigating hate crimes within the City of Seattle documenting all bias-related incidents. The Bias Crimes Unit is housed in the Violent Crimes Section and is staffed by a detective, who serves as the Bias Crimes Coordinator. The Bias Crimes Unit performs criminal investigations, acts as a resource to patrol and other follow up units, engages in officer training, public outreach, and is responsible for maintaining hate crime and bias incident data. The Bias Crimes Unit works with other governmental agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, neighboring law enforcement agencies and the Seattle Office for Civil Rights.

Outreach and Engagement Opportunities

The fight against hate takes education and outreach! The Bias Crimes Coordinator accepts invitations to speak with the community about recognizing hate activity and what to do if you are targeted. If you are interested in knowing more about hate crimes and how to report them, please reach out to SPD_hatecrimes@seattle.gov.

If you are a business owner in Seattle who would like to support victims of hate crime, please check out the Seattle Police Department’s Safe Place Program.

Bias Crime Data

In addition to investigations and outreach, the Bias Crimes Unit reviews all reported incidents containing bias and uploads our data to an online dashboard for the community to view. This data is updated regularly and shared with the FBI, Mayor’s Office and Seattle City Council.