Police chief addresses rise in LGBTQ+ hate crime reports at commission meeting

With pride flags vandalized and a transgender woman assaulted, Palm Springs residents are concerned about the increase in tensions since the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

To address these concerns, Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills attended Monday evening’s Human Rights Commission meeting to reassure commissioners of his department’s commitment to all residents.

Less than two months into the year, Mills said his department is already handling two possible hate crime cases. The first resulted in the arrest of three people from New York for suspicion of battery and a hate crime after they allegedly assaulted and used derogatory language toward a transgender woman earlier this month. 

The second, the vandalism of pride flags outside The Palm Springs Cultural Center, has not yet resulted in an arrest. 

Counting those two incidents, the total number of reported hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people in the city since the start of 2023 stands at nine. In 2023, there were two hate crimes motivated against LGBTQ+ people, and last year, police documented five. 

“That’s an increase,” Mill said. “Not a huge number, but it is significant.” 

In all, reported hate crimes went from 13 in 2023 to 10 in 2024, with other hate crimes noted against the Jewish, Black, and Hispanic communities. Mills acknowledged that the numbers are only representative of reported hate crimes and that victims can often be reluctant to come forward.  

To tackle this issue, the police department is implementing several strategies. These include monitoring social media and the dark web for potential threats, deploying officers for surveillance at large events, and using technology like license plate readers to identify suspects.

One commissioner raised concerns about the outspoken views of Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who was once a member of the extremist Oath Keepers militia. 

“There’s a strong Trump contingent of people around us, it’s a little bit worrisome,” the commissioner said, later questioning if the sheriff or District Attorney Mike Hestrin could decide against pursuing arrests or prosecution against people accused of hate crimes. 

Mills said he sees the DA as a “law and order guy” and that very few in law enforcement would turn down the opportunity to jail a criminal. 

“Having said that, not all cases are the same; some cases are weak,” he said, referring to the gray area between a hate incident and a hate crime. 

A hate crime is more than offensive speech or conduct, Mills explained. It is specific crimes that are committed against someone because of their race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, disability, gender, or sexual orientation.

If any residents think they’ve been a victim of a hate crime or incident, Mills encourages them to file a police report by calling 760-323-8116 or contacting the department at intelligence@palmspringsca.gov. He said that email goes to officers working in intelligence related to the LBTQ+ community. 

“We are at a very tenuous time in our nation when people are terrified of being who they are,” Mills said.

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