Civil rights officials said the hotline is designed to address underreporting of hate crimes by offering alternatives to law enforcement
California’s statewide anti-hate hotline received nearly 1,200 reports in 2024, with most callers requesting follow-up support, state officials said Wednesday.
The Civil Rights Department released new data from California vs Hate, the state’s multilingual hotline and online reporting system that launched last year to provide victims and witnesses of hate incidents with confidential and anonymous options outside of law enforcement.
Of the 1,180 reports received, more than two-thirds of people sought additional assistance, including legal aid, counseling and other resources, according to the department. Reports came from 49 counties, including California’s 10 most populous.
Racial or ethnic bias was cited in 44% of reports, followed by gender identity, sex or sexual orientation (23%), religion (13%) and disability status (12%). The most common locations were residences (31%), public facilities or businesses (18%) and workplaces (12%).
“Hate has no place in California,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “Every person has the right to feel safe in our state.”
Civil rights officials said the hotline, available in more than 200 languages by phone and 15 languages online, is designed to address underreporting of hate crimes by offering alternatives to law enforcement. Calls are handled by trained staff who connect people with local resources using a trauma-informed approach.
“Hate remains a painful reality for too many of our neighbors,” First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom said. “Every Californian deserves to feel safe, respected and supported.”
