Reports of hate crimes to the FBI have gone up over the past two years. But what constitutes a hate crime is frequently misunderstood. If the intent behind a crime can be proven to be hatred of a victim for certain characteristics, that's a hate crime. But not all hateful actions are crimes.
At a recent forum in Rapid City, criminal justice officials came together to discuss hate crimes and take questions from local residents.
SDPB's Victoria Wicks has this report.