Maryland AG Announces New Hate Bias Incident Reporting Program

Marylanders experiencing hate bias incidents will soon have a new, centralized resource for support and assistance. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is announcing its support for a new hate bias incident reporting program run by the United Way of Central Maryland. This initiative aims to connect individuals affected by non-criminal acts of hate with essential resources, including mental health services, community support, and mediation.

Starting October 15, 2026, residents in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County, and Howard County will be able to access this support system. They can reach out by calling the 211 Central Maryland Helpline or by visiting a dedicated United Way webpage. The program is set to launch as a pilot in these six jurisdictions, with plans for statewide expansion following the initial year. A hate bias incident is defined as a non-criminal act fueled by prejudice based on a person’s race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, gender identity, or homelessness.

This new program builds upon the OAG’s previous efforts in addressing hate incidents. The Attorney General’s office has been operating its own Hate Crimes Hotline and an online reporting portal on the NoHomeForHate website. However, as the OAG’s grant from the U.S. Department of Justice concludes this month, the responsibility for this aspect of reporting and support is transitioning to the United Way of Central Maryland. The overarching goal of this collaboration is to make comprehensive reporting and support for hate bias incidents accessible to all Marylanders.

The transition means that the OAG’s Hate Crimes Hotline and online reporting portal will be discontinued after September 30. The NoHomeForHate website will remain accessible and will feature a new resource tree designed to help individuals find information and support related to both hate crimes and hate bias incidents. For those with questions about reporting up until September 30, inquiries can still be directed to the OAG’s Hate Crimes Hotline at 1-866-481-8361 or via email at stophate@oag.maryland.gov. The Maryland Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention will continue its work, and after September 30, the stophate@oag.maryland.gov email will be exclusively for questions pertaining to the Commission’s ongoing activities.

It is crucial to distinguish between hate bias incidents and hate crimes. While both are motivated by bias, hate crimes are criminal acts such as assault, vandalism, or threats, and they require immediate reporting to law enforcement. For individuals in immediate danger, dialing 911 is the correct course of action. Suspected hate crimes should be reported directly to local law enforcement agencies for investigation and prosecution through the criminal justice system. The United Way’s program and the OAG’s former tools are specifically for non-criminal hate bias incidents. Data collected from law enforcement reports on hate crimes are compiled by the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center and made available through the Maryland Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention.

The Office of the Attorney General has been actively involved in addressing hate incidents since 2016, with the establishment of the Hate Crimes Hotline. The office expanded its reporting mechanisms by adding an email address in 2023 and an online portal in June 2024. Since the summer of 2023, the OAG has provided support to over 700 individuals through these channels. Information and data regarding these reports are published in the annual reports of the Maryland Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention and in official reports from the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center, both of which are accessible on the NoHomeForHate website.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the Office of the Attorney General.

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