LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles City Council recently passed a motion hoping to improve how the community can report hate crimes after the recent increase in these incidents over the past few years.

According to LA County, hate crimes went up 20% in 2020.

The new Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department was tasked with revamping the reporting system and recommending any other necessary resources.

Capri Maddox was appointed by Mayor Eric Garcetti to lead the new department as executive director. Her mission is to create new ways to help victims of hate crimes, which is fueled by her own experience as a teenager in LA.

“Two Caucasian men drove by, yelled the N-word, and threw what I think was a beer bottle. It was a green bottle and hit me in the back of my head. I reached back and my hand was warm and wet. I was bleeding. I didn’t call the police,” said Maddox.

This former prosecutor hopes to empower Angelenos to report these crimes through her first initiative: the “LA for All” campaign, which is the largest anti-hate campaign in the city’s history.

"We as a city stand up against hate," she said. "Hate is hate is hate. We will not allow any community to be othered here in the City of Angels."

Maddox added that the city has a reporting problem that she wants to fix by posting signs at parks, bus stops, and street lights that offer information on how to report by calling 211 or 311. She also hopes these posters will stop potential perpetrators from committing these racist acts that have only been increasing.

“The numbers have been going up as it relates to our transgender community, our immigrant community, our Jewish community. When we think about looking at these numbers, we are looking at them to know where we need to show support,” she said.

Leimert Park small business owner James Fugate is on board. He says that for 30 years, Eso Won Books has been a safe space for conversations surrounding racism. He noted that he is disgusted by the uptick in hate crimes in recent years. LA County reported a 76% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes in 2020.

“You hear about it in Jewish areas. You hear about it on Melrose. You hear about it in South LA. It’s unbelievable. People harassing them with these racist names, you are sickened by hearing it,” he said.

Fugate feels this is a step in the right direction in making all feel welcome in the city. He thinks it will promote the reporting of these crimes but hopes to see the signs in more places. 

The poster designs show support in 18 languages including Chinese and Farsi to name a few, as well as being multi-colored to include the LGBTQ+ community. Maddox and her team are already working on expanding the campaign by partnering with LAUSD and USC.

“Hate will not be tolerated in the city of Los Angeles,” she said.