Hate crimes have risen in California, according to a new state Department of Justice report.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and community leaders gathered in front of the Central Library in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 27 to discuss the state’s latest report on hate crimes, and ongoing efforts to combat rising hate and extremism.
Reported hate crimes increased roughly 20% last year, up from 1,763 in 2021, to 2,120 in 2022, the report said. Officials define hate crimes as a criminal offense against a person or property, motivated by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender or gender identity.
Key takeaways from the 2022 Hate Crime in California report include:
- Hate crimes against Black communities increased 27.1%, from 513 in 2021 to 652 in 2022.
- Anti-Hispanic hate crimes rose from 197 in 2021, to 210 in 2022.
- Anti-Asian hate crimes fell from 247 in 2021, to 140 in 2022; a decrease of 43.3%.
- Anti-Jewish hate crimes increased 24.3% from 152 in 2021, to 189 in 2022.
- Anti-transgender hate crimes increased from 38 in 2021, to 59 in 2022.
Anti-Islamic, Protestant, LGBTQ+, and gender non-conforming hate crimes also rose from last year. The number of hate crimes referred for prosecution increased 5.9%, from 610 in 2021 to 647 in 2022.
The state Department of Justice has collected and reported data on hate crimes since 1995.
Officials also released an updated bulletin providing information for local law enforcement agencies on how to respond most effectively to hate crimes and incidents.
For example, when police come across a hate crime, they should first ensure the safety of the victim and document all evidence of what happened, according to the bulletin.
Bonta urged the community to stand united to combat extremism in order to alleviate, and eliminate, hate in California.
“[Hate] seems to be so many places, so pervasive, from national political leaders to sometimes our own neighbors,”…
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