The bill stiffens enforcement of laws protecting people from harm by allowing prosecutors to bring an additional charge of malicious harassment to an existing criminal charge.
"This legislation sends a strong message that we respect all members of our community, regardless of their housing status," said Nickels. "Homeless men and women are one of our city's most vulnerable populations, and this is one way we can help protect them from attack."
The city's malicious harassment ordinance, like similar hate crime laws at the state and federal levels, focuses on perpetrators' intent to target groups of people. Other categories protected by the city's ordinance are gender identity, marital status, political ideology, age, and parental status. The state of Washington's malicious-harassment law already protects race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation and disability.
Malicious harassment laws offer an extra measure of protection both to individuals who are attacked and to the communities to which they belong. Perpetrators of hate crimes intentionally affect more than the targeted individuals; they also threaten everyone in the group.
Malicious harassment laws do not create special status for anyone. The new measure has no effect on enforcement of ordinances such as Seattle's sit-and-lying-down ordinance and the 72-hour parking limit ordinance.
"I want to thank the Seattle Human Rights Commission for first bringing this issue to my attention," said Nickels. "This measure underscores that Seattle does not tolerate crimes motivated by hate against people who are homeless."
Each year, the city spends nearly $40 million to provide a broad range of services and housing to those in need.
This includes new permanent housing, and services and programs including "enhanced shelter beds" (shelter, plus services and referrals); transitional housing to help people make the transition to permanent housing; hygiene facilities and day centers; and meal programs.
Seattle works with partners such as United Way and King County on these efforts.
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