Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI Baltimore Field Office Condemn Acts of Violence and Discrimination Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Urge Reporting of Hate Crimes

 Baltimore, Maryland  – Today, Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office today condemned bigotry and hatred against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, and encouraged members of the public to report to law enforcement incidents of violence, threats and harassment.

Acting United States Attorney Lenzner stated: “Unfortunately, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders throughout the United States continue to be targeted because of their race or ethnicity.  No one should fear or be subjected to violence, discrimination, or harassment because of who they are, their appearance or their origin.  Attacks and discrimination against our AAPI residents and neighbors are affronts to all of us.  Through the leadership of our Civil Rights Unit and working with the FBI and our other partners, the United States Attorney’s Office is committed to addressing violations of federal law that undermine the civil rights of any residents of Maryland.”

“Acts of hate have no place in our community,” said Jennifer C. Boone, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “If a crime is shown to be motivated by bias, it will be investigated by the FBI and the perpetrators held responsible for their actions. Today, in partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office, we are reminding the public to report information regarding any hate crime to the FBI.” 

Through the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s prioritization and strengthened partnerships, civil rights violations in Maryland will be investigated and, as appropriate, prosecuted by federal or state prosecutors.  To report suspected violations of civil or criminal civil rights statutes, please contact the FBI at 410-265-8080 or tips@fbi.gov.     

The United States Attorney’s Office for Maryland on March 10, 2021, launched its Civil Rights Unit to ensure that the full spectrum of criminal and civil statutes are employed in addressing hate crimes and discrimination; to conduct outreach to government, not-for-profit and private entities in Maryland; and to help provide training and resources to local and state law enforcement in Maryland.  For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao/md; information on the Civil Rights Unit can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/civil-rights.

The most recent statistics on hate crimes are available here 2019 Hate Crime Statistics from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report.

Additional resources regarding hate crimes and bias incidents can be found by visiting these links: civilrights.justice.gov/#your-rights and fbi.gov/investigate/civil-rights/hate-crimes#FBI-Resources.