AGENCIES JOIN TO FIGHT HATE CRIME.

Byline: Marianne Love Staff Writer

The FBI will team up with the LAPD and Sheriff's Department to form a hate-crime task force, replacing a sheriff's unit that disbanded three years ago because of budget cuts, officials said.

With personnel assigned from each of the three agencies, the task force will investigate suspected hate crimes in all jurisdictions. Officials say it will give the Los Angeles area, as well as areas patrolled by sheriff's deputies, more flexibility in prosecuting hate crimes on state and federal levels.

``With the task force, we will address incidents that occur and be proactive when we identify suspected crimes in a particular area,'' said FBI supervisor Kendrick Williams.

Currently, federal prosecution of hate crimes is limited to those based on race, religion and national origin.

State legislation has expanded to include hate crimes in which the facts indicate bias, hatred or prejudice based on the victim's real or perceived race, ancestry, disability, gender or sexual orientation.

``We are very supportive of all the effort to better coordinate anti-hate-crime efforts among law enforcement agencies,'' said Marshall Wong, senior intergroup relations specialist with the county's Commission on Human Relations.

``This will, in particular, assist with investigations involving organized hate-crime groups who are responsible for a series of biased-related crimes.''

The county released its 2003 Hate Crime Report in mid-December, showing that criming dipped to a 12-year low locally, although the incidents were more violent.

According to the report, 692 hate crimes were reported in 2003, 14 percent less than the 803 the previous year. Hate crimes dropped 10 percent statewide, but ticked up 1 percent nationwide.

However, 52 percent of the crimes reported countywide in 2003 were considered violent, compared with 49 percent in 2002. Among adolescent boys and girls, 81 percent of the hate crimes were violent.

Marianne Love, [phone], Ext. 2108

marianne.love(at)sgvn.com