Record number of hate crimes reported last year in most populous U.S. county

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- A record number of hate crimes were reported last year in Los Angeles County, the most populous county in the United States, said a report on Wednesday.

Following three years of double-digit increases, reported hate crimes in the county, home to around 10 million residents, drastically increased 45 percent from 930 to 1,350, the largest number in the history of the annual report compiled and produced by the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations.

Since 1980, the commission has produced the annual report of hate crime data submitted by over 100 law enforcement agencies, educational institutions, and community-based organizations.

In 2023, African Americans were again grossly over-represented in racial hate crimes with a record number of 320 anti-Black cases reported, said the report.

It found that anti-Asian crimes, after dipping the year prior, increased by 31 percent with 80 victims reported in 2023, the second-highest number ever recorded.

Anti-Latino/Latina crimes rose by 19 percent from 121 to 144 last year, the highest number ever recorded. Racial crimes targeting Latinos and Latinas were the most violent (87 percent) of all racial and ethnic groups, the report added.

Hate crimes in which anti-immigrant slurs were used climbed 31 percent in 2023 with 123 such crimes reported, the largest number ever recorded, said the report, adding that suspects used anti-immigrant language in 71 percent of anti-Latino/Latina crimes and 18 percent of anti-Asian offenses.

In addition, 65 percent of reported hate crimes were of a violent nature compared to 72 percent the year prior. Vandalism surpassed violent simple assaults, creating a drop in the percentage of violent crimes.

"Our county is facing what the rest of the nation is experiencing, the continuing increase in hate crimes, and we are ramping up our programs to meet the challenge," said Robin Toma, executive director of the commission, in a press release.

"Connecting with more people and their communities who refuse to remain silent by reporting hate, and building intergroup solidarity, is an essential part of our strategy for ending hate," he said.