FBI 2010 Report Indicates Slight Increase in Hate Crimes

An annual report released today by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
revealed a slight rise in the number of hate crimes reported by law enforcement
partners in 2010.

The
report, Hate
Crimes Statistics 2010, found that of the 6,624 single-bias
incidents in 2010, 47.3 percent were
motivated by race, while 20 percent by religion, 19.3 percent by sexual
orientation, 12.8 percent by ethnicity or national origin, and 0.6 percent by
disability.

Hate crimes directed at individuals because of race, religion,
sexual orientation, and national origin all increased slightly – with a significant
increase in the number of reported anti-Islamic crimes.

The
FBI’s hate crimes collection is voluntary so not every law enforcement agency
participates, a fact that civil rights groups have been concerned about since
the program started in 1990.  In addition, 87 percent of the 14,977 law
enforcement agencies that did participate reported that there were no hate
crimes incidents in their jurisdictions.

“It is necessary for all agencies to participate
in this vital report, and to accurately and effectively communicate the reality
of hate crimes in their jurisdiction,” said Robert G. Sugarman,
Anti-Defamation League (ADL) national chair, and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL
national director. “The HSCA report provides an opportunity to emphasize
the importance of a swift and effective response to each and every bias crime.
Behind this aggregated data are victims who have been intentionally subjected
to violence or vandalism based solely on race, religion, sexual orientation,
disability, or national origin.”