Maryland Will Expand 211 Service To Allow Residents To Report Hate Crimes
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Maryland will expand the 211 phone system, a nonprofit connecting residents to government agencies and support services, to allow callers to report hate crimes and for victims of hate crimes to receive resources, Gov. Larry Hogan said Tuesday.
The new features are the result of a partnership between the Office of Immigrant Affairs and 211 Maryland, Hogan's office said.
"This new partnership with 211 Maryland is an important collaboration to overcome language barriers in serving everyone who calls Maryland home and who works to make great contributions to our state," said Hogan. "It will further expand our outreach and resources to make it easier to report hate crimes and connect victims with services. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to help provide additional support for those who are affected by these heinous crimes."
Marylanders can also text MDStopHate to 898211, or visit 211md.org/stophate, to file a report in multiple languages.
The 211 service provides details on health care and mental health resources, employment and legal services, and information for victims of domestic violence, veterans and seniors, among others.
"Our partnership with the Office of Immigrant Affairs is a great example of collaboration to support our community members," said President and Chief Executive Officer of 211 Maryland Quinton Askew. "We are grateful to our call center network partners who provide access to these critical resources on a daily basis."
Marylanders can call the number 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The nonprofit supports more than 150 languages.
Callers can press 5 to speak in Spanish or wait to reach a representative and say the name of their preferred language in English.