Why experts agree Edmontonians should report non-criminal 'hate incidents' to police

Edmonton police launched a new tool Monday to encourage reports of "hate incidents," something officers believe will help them track people who may escalate to "hate crimes."

Edmonton police launched a new tool Monday to encourage reports of "hate incidents," something officers believe will help them track people who may escalate to "hate crimes."

Victims, or people who have information about hate-motivated situations, are being asked to visit a new webpage which includes options for reporting and links to community resources.

"We know that hate incidents often go unreported for a number of reasons," Acting Insp. Michelle Greening said.

"In some cases, victims don’t realize that what has happened to them is reportable to police, even if it wasn’t a crime."

Reporting hate incidents, she said, will allow officers to collect information and possibly "do an intervention and educate that person."

Greening, wearing a Pride rainbow on her uniform, also acknowledged a lack of mistrust some people have because of "negative experiences" with officers and said Edmonton Police Service is "working to remedy" that.

Police said there were 83 hate crimes and 172 hate incidents reported in Edmonton last year. In 2021, those numbers were 109 and 208, respectively.