Report: Hate-motivated crimes see drastic jump across Los Angeles County over last year
Reported hate crimes saw a drastic increase in the Golden State last year, with a more than 20% jump noted in a new report released by Attorney General Rob Bonta on Tuesday.
"This report is a stark reminder that there is still much work to be done to combat hate in our state," Bonta said in a statement. "I urge local partners and law enforcement to review these findings and recommit to taking action."
Hate-motivated crimes against Black residents in Los Angeles County jumped by more than 27% from 2021 to 2022, with crimes targeting people based on sexual orientation spiking by nearly 30%.
Bonta says that in conjunction with the release of the report, he has issued a bulletin to law enforcement agencies up and down California with an updated summary of state laws regarding hate crimes and hate-motivated acts.
"Our office continues to work with law enforcement, elected leaders, and community organizations across the state to increase awareness and bolster responses to hate crimes," he said. "An attack against one of us is an attack against all of us. The alarming increases in crimes committed against Black, LGBTQ+ and Jewish people for the second year in a row illustrates the need for our communities to join together unified against hate. It takes all of us working together to combat extremism and foster a safe and inclusive environment for all Californians. Now, more than ever, it is critical that we stand unified — there is no place for hate in California."
The report details that the number of reported hate crimes in California rose from 1,763 in 2021 to 2,120 in 2022. Black people were the most targeted group in the reported incidents, with 652 crimes reported last year versus 513 in 2021.
Crimes targeting people based on sexual orientation saw a similar jump, with the number rising by nearly 100 from 303 in 2021 to 391 last year, while anti-transgender events jumped from 38 to 59 in 2022. Crimes against Jewish people also rose — by 24.3% — last year.
Despite the increased amount of crimes for those demographics, those targeting Asians saw a dramatic decrease, dropping by more than 43% from 2021 to 2022. Recently, numbers had seen remarkable jumps on reports, likely due to hate stemming from people's beliefs on the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report also found that the number of hate crimes referred for prosecution in the state rose by 5.9% from 610 in 2021 to 647 in 2022.
