Washington launches new hate crime hotline in Spokane County ahead of statewide launch

The state of Washington has launched a hotline in Spokane County for residents to report hate crimes and incidents of bias.

The hotline, launched Tuesday in Spokane, King and Clark counties, is part of a pilot project ahead of a planned launch statewide by January 2027. The nonemergency hotline, which can be reached by calling (855) 225-1010 or visiting atg.wa.gov/report-hate, is staffed with representatives who can help callers find support services and, with consent, report incidents to law enforcement.

“Hate crimes not only directly harm individuals but also can instill harm throughout the community,” Attorney General Nick Brown said in a statement. “Success in these three counties will help us expand the hotline statewide and better understand how to combat hate crimes and bias incidents across Washington.”

The hotline program, which was passed by the Legislature in the 2024 session, was required to conduct the pilot program in three counties, with at least one county in Eastern Washington. The three counties were selected based on data available in the 2023 Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs’ Annual Crime Report and county demographics.

Beginning in July 2027, the state attorney general will compile an annual report of hate crimes and bias incidents.

“Spokane welcomes the launch of the new Hate Crimes & Bias Incidents Hotline and is proud to be one of three original test locations,” Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown said in a statement. “Our Office of Civil Rights, Equity, and Inclusion has been engaged with the Attorney General’s team through its development, and we see this as a vital tool to improve reporting and ensure accountability throughout our community.”

Under Washington law, a hate crime is defined as an assault, property damage, or threat to cause injury or property damage that is committed because of the perception of a person’s race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, or disability.

According to the Attorney General’s Office, an incident of bias is an act of prejudice that does not involve violence, threats, or property damage that is not criminal.

According to data from the FBI, Washington has been in the top five states with the most reported hate crimes since 2018.

“I expect that the hotline will allow victims of hate to feel like they have support in their local communities,” Hershel Zellman, board member of Human Rights Spokane, said in a statement. “I also expect the statistics gathered by the hotline will be used to create educational programming and law enforcement strategies for mitigating the occurrence of hate in the first place.”