A hate crime is any criminal act that is primarily or mostly driven by prejudice towards specific personal traits. A crime must have occurred as a precursor to an incident to be designated as a hate crime in New York State law. This implies that law enforcement must initially ascertain whether a crime was committed. The first charge may be enhanced with hate crime charges if it is found that bigotry was the driving force behind the offense (What are hate crimes? - LAPD Online, 2021).

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Answer 1

Hate crimes can target a person based on their race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other protected characteristics. These crimes not only harm the individual victim, but also aim to intimidate and instill fear in a larger community. The classification of a crime as a hate crime reflects the understanding that such acts go beyond individual harm and can have a broader impact on society.