Reports to Oregon’s Bias Response Hotline are on the rise in 2022, with incidents that include things like verbal harassment or physical attacks.

The Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ) presented new numbers from the hotline to lawmakers in Salem.

The report shows that reports were up 55% for the first part of 2022.

“Some of that increase we believe is due to the hotline becoming more well-known across the state,” said Ken Sanchagrin, the director of Oregon’s Criminal Justice Commission, who points to data that indicates this could be a rise across the country.

Lawmakers gave the DOJ funding in 2019 to staff the hotline, and it has been running for more than two years.

The DOJ also found that roughly a quarter of all reports they take are criminal.

While the hotline saw spikes of calls, law enforcement ultimately had a 15% decrease in the reports of bias crime in 2021.

May Saeshao is a councilmember on the Portland Police Bureau's Asian-Pacific Islander American Advisory Council. She says a language barrier for some may be part of the problem.

“That has led to lack of access, lack of resources, we are really working hard on providing translation,” said Saeshao.

She said the historic and systemic mistrust between law enforcement and people of color is also part of the problem. Another issue is police training.

Johanna Costa, the Bias Response Coordinator for the DOJ, said the department held a statewide training for law enforcement on how to investigate and report bias crimes. However, it is not a requirement for officers in Oregon.

“Sometimes people are afraid of asking questions like, do you think there was motivation based on your identity?” said Costa.

Costa said those types of trainings can help by removing common misconceptions surrounding bias crimes.

For example, officers will often avoid writing a specific slur that was used, but those types of details are needed when prosecuting these crimes.

“Our Bias Response and Sanctuary Promise Hotlines are community resources that can help anybody who has experienced a bias crime or incident or need to report a possible violation of Oregon’s sanctuary laws,” said Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum. “Oregonians value fairness and dignity, and all people should feel safe in their communities. No one should feel like they don’t belong in Oregon. Our hotline advocates are standing by in seven languages, and we are here to support you.”