With June recognized as Pride Month, FBI Philadelphia wants to remind the public of our role in investigating civil rights violations and hate crimes, as well as safety guidance to follow as our city and community prepare for celebrations.

“Hate crimes are the highest priority of our civil rights program due to the devastating impact they have in our communities,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia. “We will continue to work diligently with our partners at every level to ensure all individuals are free to exercise their constitutional rights.”

Civil Rights and Hate Crimes

The FBI is the primary federal agency responsible for investigating possible violations of federal civil rights statutes. These laws are designed to protect the civil rights of every person within the United States.

Traditionally, FBI investigations of hate crimes were limited to crimes in which the perpetrators acted based on a bias against the victim’s race, color, religion, or national origin. In addition, investigations were restricted to those wherein the victim was engaged in a federally protected activity.

With the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, the FBI became authorized to also investigate crimes committed against those based on biases of actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or gender.

Partnerships are key in bringing awareness of civil rights violations that fall within the FBI’s jurisdiction. FBI Philadelphia works alongside state and local law enforcement, as well as community groups to work to improve the reporting of civil rights violations.

Reporting

As always, the FBI encourages the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity. In the event of an immediate emergency, please contact local law enforcement or 911. The FBI Philadelphia field office can be reached at (215) 418-4000, or you can submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

Resources

For more information on safety tips during Pride Month, please visit the following resources:

• Hate Crimes webpage: https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/civil-rights/hate-crimes
• FBI’s Hate Crime Threat Response Guide: https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/hate-crime-threat-response-guide-updated-11-8-2023.pdf/view
• Department of Justice’s Office of Hate Crimes Enforcement and Prevention: https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes