Hate crimes

In 1994 California Governor Pete Wilson vetoed the Legislature's addition of the homeless to the categories of people who can be considered victims of hate crimes. Fifteen years later, Los Angeles County supervisors unanimously recommended that sheriff's deputies, prosecutors and the county Human Relations Commission start tracking and reporting attacks on the homeless as hate crimes.

With concerns about "an emerging pattern of homeless individuals being an easy target of violence in our community," Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky sponsored the proposal with Supervisor Don Knabe.

It's a step in the right direction.

(from LA Times story, March 25, 2009)