52-8.5 - Reporting hate crimes. - Virginia Statutes

§ 52-8.5. Reporting hate crimes.

A. The Superintendent shall establish and maintain within the Department ofState Police a central repository for the collection and analysis ofinformation regarding hate crimes and groups and individuals carrying outsuch acts.

B. State, county and municipal law-enforcement agencies shall report to theDepartment all hate crimes occurring in their jurisdictions in a form, timeand manner prescribed by the Superintendent. Such reports shall not be opento public inspection except insofar as the Superintendent shall permit.

C. For purposes of this section, "hate crime" means (i) a criminal actcommitted against a person or his property with the specific intent ofinstilling fear or intimidation in the individual against whom the act isperpetrated because of race, religion or ethnic origin or that is committedfor the purpose of restraining that person from exercising his rights underthe Constitution or laws of this Commonwealth or of the United States, (ii)any illegal act directed against any persons or their property because ofthose persons' race, religion or national origin, and (iii) all otherincidents, as determined by law-enforcement authorities, intended tointimidate or harass any individual or group because of race, religion ornational origin.

(1988, c. 838; 2002, cc. 588, 623.)