These standards can be distilled into a simple principle: law enforcement officers must treat others as individuals, and may never use a person's race, ethnicity, or other protected characteristic as a shortcut for suspecting them of criminal activity. These traits can be used as a descriptor but not as a predictor—and never as a justification for heightened suspicion or differential treatment. Instead, the officer's actions must be based on the behavior of the individual, or on reliable information that directly relevant to the investigation of a specific offense. Our intuitions can often be wrong—and are shaped by implicit biases that may result in unfair treatment. Constitutional guarantees and the principle of fair and equal treatment require attention to verified facts, not unfounded intuition.
In February 2020, the Office of the Attorney General issued guidance to assist community members in understanding Maryland's hate crimes laws, distinguishing hate crimes from hate bias incidents, encouraging the reporting of hate crimes and hate bias incidents, and developing successful community strategies for combating this activity. The report also announced the creation of the Attorney General's Hate Crimes Task Force to engage a broad cross-section of the community to make recommendations regarding how to better respond to hate crimes and bias incidents.
“Over the last week, reports of hate incidents directed at racial and ethnic minorities, Muslims, Jews, women, immigrants, and the LGBT community have increased. Sadly, Maryland is not immune to this outbreak, and it is important to remember that our laws prohibit this kind of conduct and provide protection from it."
“As Attorney General, I am committed to working with local law enforcement, state and county governments, our local school systems, higher education systems, and communities to enforce these laws. I urge anyone who believes they have been a victim of unlawful harassment or intimidation to first notify local law enforcement, the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (“MCCR") or your local human rights agency. My office has also established a hotline to report these incidents and make referrals to local law enforcement for further investigation when appropriate. The number is 1-866-481-8361. Complaints of student harassment or bullying should be made directly to the school, college or university. I believe the current state of affairs presents not only a challenge, but an opportunity. Neighborhood by neighborhood, we can declare that justice, fairness and tolerance are not partisan principles, but keystones of America's character."
In 2015, the Office successfully advanced the Voters' Rights Protection Act of 2015 authorizing the Attorney General and, alternately, in certain circumstances, the State Prosecutor, to seek injunctive relief to prohibit a person from committing or continuing to commit specified elections violations, such as willfully and knowingly influencing or attempting to influence a voter's voting decision or decision whether to go to the polls to vote. You can read the Voters’ Rights Protection Act here.
Commemorative Document Voting Rights Act 50th Anniversary Video
Maryland Commission on Civil Rights File a complaint in Maryland regarding issues of employment, housing and public accommodations. Please visit their website for additional information related to filing a complaint. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC or Commission) is the federal agency responsible for enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information. The Commission receives, investigates, and resolves charges of employment discrimination filed against private sector employers, employment agencies, labor unions, and state and local governments, including charges of systemic discrimination. Click here to file a complaint with the EEOC. US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division The Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice enforces federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, disability, religion, familial status and national origin. Please visit their website to file a complaint.
The Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice enforces federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, disability, religion, familial status and national origin. Please visit their website to file a complaint.