BOSTON â A bill proposed by state Sen. Adam Hinds seeks to crack down on hate crimes as incident reports rise in Berkshire County and statewide.
The reform bill seeks to better define what constitutes a hate crime â which some legislators find vague under the current law. Hinds, D-Pittsfield, partnered with Attorney General Maura Healey and state Rep. Tram Nguyen, D-Andover, to file the legislation.
âIt strengthens the ability of law enforcement to protect victims, in a way, by providing those clear definitions,â Hinds said.
âIt also addresses the challenge of what the penalties would be, based on the seriousness of the underlying offense,â Hinds said, adding that it was common for all alleged offenders to be grouped together collectively, regardless of the severity of the alleged crime.