California sees dramatic rise in hate crimes

California Attorney General Rob Bonta believes that epidemic of hate spurred on during the pandemic remains a clear and present threat.

Hate crimes in California last year rose dramatically, especially against Asians and other people of color, according to the Attorney General’s office.

The Attorney General’s 2021 Hate Crime in California Report listed a total of 1,763 overall hate crime cases, a significant increase of 32.6% (from 2020 figures of 1,330) and the highest reported level since 2001.

A dramatic increase of 177.5% (or 89 incidents in 2020 to 247 incidents in 2021) in reported anti-Asian hate crime events were recorded.

Hate crimes targeting Black people still topped the list with 513 in 2021 from 456 in 2020 or a 12.5% increase while anti-Hispanic or Latino incidents rose from 152 in 2020 to 197 in 2021, an increase of 29.6 percent.

Notably, reported hate crimes involving a sexual orientation bias also increased significantly by 47.8% from 2020’s 205 cases to 2021’s 303 cases.

“The report undeniably shows that the epidemic of hate we saw spurred on during the pandemic remains a clear and present threat,” asserts Attorney General Rob Bonta.

“In fact, reported hate crime has reached a level we haven’t seen in California since the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11. As our state’s top law enforcement officer, I will continue to use the full authority of my office to fight back.”

Bonta vows to keep working with local law enforcement and community organizations to make sure every Californian feels seen, heard, and protected.

“While there is no single solution, it’s up to all of us to heed the call, because when our communities feel empowered, they come forward. Now, more than ever, it is critical that we stand united — there is no place for hate in California.”

Bonta urges local partners and law enforcement to review the resources available and to recommit themselves to taking action.

Bonta announced the creation of a statewide hate crime coordinator position within the California Department of Justice’s Criminal Law Division to further assist state and local law enforcement efforts to combat hate crime.

Some of the other key findings from the 2021 Hate Crime in California Report include:

• Anti-Hispanic or Latino bias events increased 29.6% from 152 in 2020 to 197 in 2021;
• Among hate crime events involving a religious bias, anti-Jewish bias events were the most prevalent and increased 32.2% from 115 in 2020 to 152 in in 2021; and
• From 2020 to 2021, the number of cases filed for prosecution by district attorneys and elected city attorneys involving hate crime charges increased by 30.1%.

The other significant trends in the last year also include:

– reported hate crime events increased 32.6 percent from 1,330 in 2020 to 1,763 in 2021 while reported hate crime offenses increased 42.1 percent from 1,563 in 2020 to 2,221 in 2021;.

– The number of victims of reported hate crimes increased 41.9 percent from 1,536 in 2020 to 2,180 in 2021; and

– The number of suspects of reported hate crimes increased 41.2 percent from 1,171 in 2020 to 1,654 in 2021.

Reported hate crime events involving a religion bias increased 21.1 percent from 180 in 2020 to 218 in 2021 with anti-Jewish bias events rising  from 115 in 2020 to 152 in 2021, an increase of 32.2 percent while anti-Catholic bias events rose from 6 in 2020 to 16 in 2021..

The California Department of Justice has collected and reported statewide data on hate crimes since 1995.

Under California law, a hate crime is a criminal act committed in whole or in part because of a victim’s actual or perceived disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or association with someone with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

Hate crimes are distinct from hate incidents, which are actions or behaviors motivated by hate that may be protected by the First Amendment right to freedom of expression.

Examples of hate incidents include name-calling, insults, and distributing hate material in public places. If a hate incident starts to threaten a person or property, it may become a hate crime.

Historically, hate crime data has generally been underreported and the California Department of Justice recognizes that the data presented in its reports may not adequately reflect the actual number of hate crime events that have occurred in the state.

Nevertheless, it is important to note that the total number of hate crime events reported in 2021 is the sixth highest ever recorded and the highest since hate crime events skyrocketed in 2001 in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11.

In the last decade, reported hate crime events have increased by 89.6 percent with the lowest year for reported hate crime events was 2014 with 758 events.