Washington’s hotline for incidents of discrimination is being tested in three counties in the state

In this Aug. 11, 2019, file photo, a man uses a cellphone in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, Archive)

PORTLAND, Oregon (COIN) — Washington’s new hate crimes and bias-related incident hotline will launch as a pilot program in Clark, King and Spokane counties.

On Wednesday, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced that his office would lead the initiative, which was approved by lawmakers in early March. Senate Bill 5427 called on officials to begin setting up the program by Jan. 1, 2025.

In Washington, hate crimes are defined as attacks or threats that result in property damage or injury because of a person’s race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or identity. The Attorney General’s Office explained that incidents based on discrimination are also bias-motivated acts, but are not “criminal in nature” and do not result in attacks, threats or property damage.

The hotline allows Washington residents to report incidents by phone and receive trauma-related information or referrals to local service providers. In some cases, when a crime is suspected, operators provide a tip to police officers.

The pilot program is scheduled to begin in three Washington state counties by July 1, 2025. In a statement, Clark County Sheriff John Horch said he was “pleased” with the new development as the county becomes more demographically diverse.

It will be available to residents across the state starting in 2027.

Ferguson’s office plans to release an annual report of crimes and incidents reported to the hotline.

“The harms of hate crimes and bias-related incidents extend beyond the victims directly affected – and they cannot be tolerated,” Ferguson said in a statement. “This pilot project will lay the foundation for a unique centralized, statewide resource for Washingtonians to report hate crimes and bias-related incidents… We must all work together to combat hate and advocate for harmed individuals and communities.”

Oregon set up a similar hotline in 2020. According to the state Department of Justice, the hotline saw a 178% increase in reports through 2023.