The Eugene Police Department takes investigating hate crimes very seriously. To help facilitate a thorough investigation all hate crimes require a police officer take the initial report.

Oregon defines a hate crime as a crime motivated in part or whole by bias against another person’s actual or perceived protected class–their race, color, disability, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

Examples of Hate/Bias Crimes
Bias crimes can also be verbal, physical, or visual. Some examples include:
Assaulting, injuring, or even touching someone in an offensive manner because of their perceived protected class.
Creating racist or derogatory graffiti on someone else’s property based on their perceived protected class.
Threatening to physically harm a person, their family, or their property based on their perceived protected class.

What about Bias Incidents that do not fit the legal definition of a crime?

A bias incident is any hostile expression that may be motivated by another person’s actual or perceived protected class, meaning their race, color, disability, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The act does not need to be a federal, state, tribal, or local crime.

Examples of Bias Incidents
Bias incidents can be verbal, physical, or visual. This language and behavior often contributes to or creates an unsafe or unwelcoming environment. Some examples include: Name calling; using a racial, ethnic, or other slur to identify someone; or using degrading language.
Creating racist or derogatory images/drawings.
Imitating or mocking someone with a disability, or mocking someone’s cultural norm or practice.

If you are the victim of a crime perpetrated because of a protected class please call the non-emergency number, 541-682-5111, let them know you believe you are a victim of a hate crime and request an officer respond to take the report.

If you have been involved in a non-criminal bias incident, it can be reported directly to the Oregon Department of Justice over the phone or online:

Non-Emergency
Bias Response Hotline
1-844-924-BIAS
(1-844-924-2427)
Trauma-informed operators are standing by
9am to 5pm Pacific time, Monday – Friday.
Interpreters in over 240 languages.
After hours? Leave a message and we’ll return your call.
We accept all Relay calls.

You can report to us online any time:
Report a Hate and Bias Incident