According to a new report, there was a 20% increase in reported hate crimes in Los Angeles County, the most populous in the US, last year, primarily due to a 53% increase in racial hate crime.
According to the annual report released on Wednesday by the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations, reported hate crimes in the county of over 10 million residents increased from 530 to 635 in 2020, the highest number since 2008.
According to the report, hate crimes are on the rise, with a 66% increase since 2013, according to the Xinhua news agency.
African-Americans were once again the most common victims, and anti-black hate crimes increased 35% from 125 to 169.
According to the report, African-Americans make up only 9% of Los Angeles County residents but account for 42% of racial hate crime victims. They are also over-represented as victims of sexual orientation and anti-transgender crimes.
Following a 67% increase in 2016, white supremacist crimes decreased in 2017 and 2018, but increased again in 2019 and will remain elevated in 2020.
According to the report, 16% of the 119 crimes were violent in nature, while 71% were acts of vandalism.
The number of anti-Latino crimes increased by 58 percent, from 67 to 106. According to the report, Latinos were the most likely racial group to be victims of violent racially motivated crime.
Seventy-seven percent of hate crimes involving anti-immigrant slurs targeted Latinos.
According to the report, crimes against Asian Pacific Americans increased by 76% from 25 to 44, the highest number since 2001.
Asian-Americans make up 15% of the population of Los Angeles County. The suspects blamed the victims for COVID-19 in ten of the crimes.
Anti-Chinese slurs were specifically used in 15 of these crimes. Four of the crimes were anti-Japanese, while the other three were anti-Indian.
As in previous years, the majority of hate crimes (43%) were committed in public places, followed by residences (23%), businesses (22%), schools (4%), government buildings (3%), and electronic communication and religious sites (3%). (2 per cent each).
Last year, the Los Angeles metropolitan area had the highest number of reported hate crimes.
Since 1980, the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations has compiled and published an annual report of hate crime data submitted by police departments, educational institutions, and community-based organisations.
The agency said the report is “one of the longest-standing efforts in the nation to document hate crime”.
