State records released on Tuesday show an increase in the number of reported hate crimes in California in 2022, including bias-motivated acts of violence. MThe number of hate crimes involving anti-Black racism, homophobia, and anti-Semitism all increased in 2018 compared to 2021 statistics.
Officials estimate that the true number of incidents of hate crime rose from 1,763 in 2021 to 2,120 in 2022, a rise of 20.2%. After the national racial awakening that followed George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police in 2020, the number of crimes committed against Black persons in California increased by 27.1%, from 513 in 2021 to 652 in 2022.
After sharp increases in preceding years due to the advent of the coronavirus in China, anti-Asian bias occurrences dropped by 43.3% in 2022, from 247 in 2021 to 140.
The tweet below verifies the news:
Overall hate crime events — which officials say are likely underreported — increased 20.2% in 2022, from 1,763 in 2021 to 2,120.https://t.co/ym4c0GNaWF
— ABC 10News San Diego (@10News) June 27, 2023
On Tuesday at a press appearance in Los Angeles, California Attorney General Rob Bonta revealed the numbers. Since 1995, the state’s hate crime statistics have been tracked and reported by the California Department of Justice.
“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 news release.
“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.”
The victim’s gender, nationality, color or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or handicap are all factors in determining whether an act constitutes a hate crime. Name calling and other forms of hate speech are not always illegal.
If you want up-to-date information on the Golden State, The California Examiner is your best bet.
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