Hate crimes, according to law, cover those acts in which people harm others because of their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, etc., but not because of their employment. Most states already have extra penalties for harming police. For example, the extenuating circumstances in death penalty cases include killing a police officer. This law is unnecessary and a misuse of the law as it was intended. It is a political decision, not a legal one. It is designed to make a point (a conservative one) not to solve a problem. Any law passed for merely political reasons is invalid.