Annual FBI Hate Crimes Report Marks 2019 as the ‘Deadliest Year on Record’

Fighting Hate & Bias News, Fighting Hate & Bias Resources 11.16,20

Total number of hate crimes increased for the fourth time in five years, despite decrease in reporting by law enforcement agencies

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Janessa Sambola-Harris, [email protected]

WASHINGTON—Becky Monroe, director of the Fighting Hate and Bias program at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on the release of the 2019 FBI hate crimes report:

“2019 marks the deadliest year on record since the hate crimes reporting program started in 1991. This is especially alarming considering that the number of law enforcement agencies voluntarily reporting their figures has decreased, which means the report only captures a fraction of actual incidences of hate crimes.

“These acts of hate and violence are horrific and reflect the harmful policies and rhetoric of the Trump administration – targeting people of color, religious minorities, immigrants, and members of the LGBTQ community over the last four years. We will continue to work with elected officials and community leaders to support impacted communities and require that law enforcement agencies report these incidents accurately. Congress must pass the Jabera-Hayer NO HATE Act to improve hate crime prevention, reporting, and best practices in supporting targeted communities. All of us have a responsibility to fight acts of hate, particularly those in positions of power.”

Background:
There were 7,314 hate crimes reported to the FBI in 2019. Law enforcement agencies reported 51 hate crime murders, a 113% increase over 2018.

  • Race based crimes comprised the largest number of incidences. As per the previous years, anti-Black crimes were the highest percentage of violent hate crime incidences, accounting for nearly 50% of reported offenses.
  • Anti-Latino hate crimes increased for the fourth straight year in a row. The report notably excludes the tragic massacre in El Paso, Texas, despite it being reported as the deadliest anti-Latino attack in American history. The shooting was categorized as “anti-other race/ethnicity/ancestry”, even though the perpetrator’s anti-Latino motivation was well documented.
  • There was a 14% increase in anti-Jewish hate crimes, marking 2019 as the second highest number of violent offenses recorded, which included the deadly anti-Semitic attacks in Poway, Calif., Jersey City, N.J., and Monsey, N.Y.
  • The LGBTQ community also faced an increase in targeted crime. There was a 24% increase in anti-bisexual hate crimes and an 18% increase in crime against transgender people.
  • According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, less than 14% of the agencies that participate in FBI data collection reported one or more hate crimes. They noted that every other law enforcement agency, including more than 80 cities with populations over 100,000 reported zero hate crimes or did not report at all.

The FBI report on hate crimes can be found here. For more information about The Leadership Conference’s work in fighting hate and bias, visit www.whitesupremacykills.org.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 220 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.