Hate Crime
What is a hate crime?
Put simply, a hate crime is a criminal offence driven by bias, prejudice or hate. That motivation can relate to race, nationality, ethnicity, language, colour, religion, gender, age, mental or physical disability, or sexual orientation.
What is a hate or bias incident?
A hate or bias incident involves the same kinds of harmful attitudes, but it doesn’t always meet the legal threshold of a crime under the Criminal Code of Canada. This can include behaviour like name-calling, racial slurs or sharing materials that promote prejudice.
Hate — whether it rises to the level of a crime or not — has a real impact on people and communities. York Regional Police takes all reports seriously and investigates both hate crimes and hate or bias incidents.
What to do if you’ve been affected
If you’ve experienced or witnessed hate, here are a few steps to follow:
Remain Calm
Call police right away
Write down everything you remember about the incident
Keep any evidence, such as messages, photos or videos
Hate Crimes Unit
York Regional Police is committed to addressing hate in the community. This work includes a dedicated Hate Crimes Unit, along with specially trained investigators across the region who support frontline officers.
The service also works closely with community groups, schools and other police agencies, offering training and outreach to help prevent and respond to hate.
