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California Attorney General Rob Bonta discusses hate crimes at a press conference in Sacramento. | Photo courtesy of the California Department of Justice/YouTube
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Reported hate crime events in California increased by 20.2% in 2022 compared to the previous year, with such crimes based on sexual orientation spiking up by 29% and those against Black residents increasing by 27.1%, according to a report released Tuesday in Los Angeles by Attorney General Rob Bonta.
“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 statement. “I urge local partners and law enforcement to review these findings and recommit to taking action.”
Bonta said that in conjunction with the report’s release, he issued a bulletin to law enforcement agencies throughout the state with an updated summary of state laws targeting hate crimes and hate-motivated acts.
“Our office continues to work with law enforcement, elected leaders, and community organizations across the state to increase awareness and bolster responses to hate crimes,” he said. “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.
“It takes all of us working together to combat extremism and foster a safe and inclusive environment for all Californians,” Bonta continued. “Now, more than ever, it is critical that we stand united — there is no place for hate in California.”
According to the report, the overall number of reported hate crime events in the state rose from 1,763 in 2021 to 2,120 last year. Black people were the most commonly targeted group, with 652 crimes reported last year, up from 513 in 2021.
Sexual-orientation-based hate crime events rose from 303 in 2021 to 391 in 2022, while those targeting Jewish people rose by 24.3% from 152 in 2021 to 189 last year. Anti-transgender events increased from 38 in 2021 to 59 in 2022.
Notably, hate crime events targeting Asians — who became frequent hate targets during the COVID-19 pandemic — fell dramatically between 2021 and 2022, dropping by 43.3% from 247 in 2021 to 140 in 2022.
Hate crime events are defined as single occurrences that could potentially involve multiple hate crime offenses, according to the AG’s Office.
The report found that the number of hate crimes referred for prosecution in the state rose by 5.9% from 610 in 2021 to 647 in 2022.
