A King County council member is looking to create a new team dedicated solely to tackling hate and bias crimes.
So far this year, the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office has filed 10 hate crime cases. One of those cases involved a Seattle mother and her two children who were threatened by a man while stopped at a red light.
In 2018, there were 30 cases filed, then 39 cases filed in 2019, and 59 cases in 2020, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.
King County Council Vice Chair Reagan Dunn is introducing legislation that would create a Hate and Bias Crime Unit within the King County Sheriff's Office.
"It's really important, we think to get a unit established, they can really focus in on this area of hate crime investigation, and then also the really important work of outreaching to the communities," Dunn said.
KING 5 asked Dunn if a new unit would be enough to stop the surge.
"No, I don't think it's enough, but I think it's a start," Dunn said.
The unit will be made up of four King County sheriff's deputies and one staff member.
King County Sheriff Mitzi G. Johanknecht supported the idea, according to a statement.
“I thank Councilmember Dunn for recognizing this unconscionable hate is a bipartisan issue and will take all of us, standing together, to conquer,” said Johanknecht in a statement provided by the King County Council.
Before the unit is formed, Dunn said he wants to make sure the community backs the idea.
"Hate crime isn't just necessarily a crime based on race, it can be a crime based on sexual orientation, it can be any form of hate, right, that exists and so we need to bring broad stakeholders together and really focus on it," Dunn said.
County leaders will have to approve the legislation and then allocate the necessary funding before the unit can get to work.