Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon's attorney general has created an anonymous online way for people to report hate crimes.

In Oregon, attacks motivated by the victim's race, religion, or sexual orientation can lead to a misdemeanor or felony charge.  Amelia Templeton reports.

Attorney General John Kroger says that hate crimes in Oregon have been under reported. He's reviewing records and preparing a report on bias motivated violence. Kroger says some incidents that were covered by the media don't have a corresponding police report. Last week, the sexual minority community in Portland told the attorney general that an anonymous way to report attacks would help. 

Now victims and witnesses can report bias motivated crimes online using a confidential form. And the attorney general says he will probably ask legislators to strengthen Oregon's hate crimes laws in the next session.

That's after an Idaho white supremacist suggested in April he was considering a move to John Day.

John Kroger: "We've been looking at Idaho's laws in particular and have identified ways in which Idaho's statues are clearly stronger than Oregon's."  The attorney general will visit John Day next week.