Investigating hate crime: Law enforcement decision making in race based hate crimes

Abstract

In recent decades, a growing number of police services in Canada have stressed commitments to protecting vulnerable communities from violence and intimidation and by combating hate crime. In 2020, the number of hate crimes reported to police in Canada increased by 37% to the highest number ever recorded. While social science research in several national contexts has examined the policing of hate crime, few studies have examined how police investigate hate crimes in Canada. This paper examines the investigative process and police decision-making with respect to racially motivated and anti-Black hate crimes reported in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). This paper argues that while police claim that the circumstances of a given incident determines how police respond and whether a case is ultimately solved, in fact police decision making and particularly the way police conceive of racism and hate, profoundly shapes investigative processes and outcomes.