The state of Illinois has witnessed a significant increase in hate crimes over the past couple of years, which a new Illinois bill attempts to address. While there are currently several laws on the books that address hate crimes, the Illinois Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes has concluded that police officers often fail to recognize hate crimes as an element of another criminal offense.
Across the nation, hate crimes have also increased, with the FBI showing 5,479 incidences of hate crimes in 2014 and 11,862 by 2023. In Illinois, there were 109 hate crimes in 2014, but by 2023, that number had grown to 324, nearly tripling. Communities across the state may experience hate and bigotry that does not receive the justice it deserves. In part, this is because law enforcement officials lack the necessary tools to investigate and report hate crimes.