Protesters in Southeast Portland on Sunday, March 21, 2021, decry the rise in anti-Asian violence. Paul Ip, in green jacket, holds a "Hate is divisive" sign. He and the others were at the intersection of SE 82nd Avenue and SE Johnson Creek Boulevard.
Crystal Ligori / OPB
Oregon’s hotline for people to report hate crimes and bias incidents began in January 2020. Calls quickly overwhelmed its staff of two. With the rise of these reports in Oregon, state lawmakers have boosted the funding by $2 million, enabling the program to hire more people to answer calls and provide resources to help guide people who want to proceed with charges. We hear more from Fay Stetz-Waters about these changes and how they will affect the state’s ability to identify and prosecute hate and bias crimes. The hotline number is 1-844-924-BIAS (2427).
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