NBC Orders ‘Law & Order’ Series Based on Hate Crimes Task Force

NBC has ordered a new Law & Order series from Dick Wolf based on a hate crimes task force.

According to Variety, the series will be titled Law & Order: Hate Crimes and it is confirmed for a 13-episode first season. It was co-created by former Law & Order: Special Victims Unit showrunner Warren Leight.

The series will be set in New York and focus on a team of uniquely capable detectives and investigators who handle racially-motivated crime in the city.

“As with all of my crime shows, I want to depict what’s really going on in our cities and shine a light on the wide-ranging victims and show that justice can prevail,” Wolf explained.

“Twenty years ago when SVU began, very few people felt comfortable coming forward and reporting these crimes, but when you bring the stories into people’s living rooms — with characters as empathetic as Olivia Benson – a real dialogue can begin,” he continued. “That’s what I hope we can do with this new show in a world where hate crimes have reached an egregious level.”

“I’m extremely impressed by the actual men and women investigating these cases in a city as complicated and diverse as New York,” Leight added, per Deadline. The work they are doing puts them on the front lines in a battle for the soul of our city and nation. I’m thrilled about the chance to reunite with Dick and NBC to portray the reality of this crisis.”

“As Law & Order: SVU enters its remarkable 20th season, it is exciting to get back into business with Dick Wolf on a new Law & Order incarnation that feels extremely timely,” said co-president of scripted programming at NBC Entertainment Lisa Katz.

“Considering that last year there was a double-digit rise in hate crimes in our 10 largest cities — the highest total in over a decade — it seemed like this topic is begging to be explored,” she added.

“We’re confident that Dick and Warren will examine these cases in all their complexity and deliver another riveting series for our country, currently grappling with an escalation of these crimes and the motivations behind them,” Tracey Pakosta, Co-President of Scripted Programming at NBC Entertainment, said of the series.

At this time, no announcements regarding casting or a potential premiere date been made, but — according to The Hollywood Reporter — the series is scheduled to be introduced during an episode of SVU in the latter half its upcoming 20th season.