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An August 2024 report from the Office of New York State Comptroller found that the state is experiencing a “surge” in hate crimes. The state has seen a record number of hate-based incidents since the year 2000, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in a Wednesday press release.

The report, a summary of hate crime data mandated by the New York Hate Crimes Act of 2000, found 1,089 reported instances of bias-motivated criminal incidents in 2023. 669, or 61.4%, of the incidents occurred in New York City.

The state also recorded a 69% increase in hate crimes since 2019, the largest five-year increase noted in over 20 years worth of state data, according to the report. The previous five-year period, from 2015 to 2019, saw an increase of 28%.

The August 2024 report found that a majority of hate crimes in the state targeted Jewish people, Black people and gay men. In 2023, 44% of all recorded incidents targeted the Jewish community. Hate crimes against Black people and gay men made up for 17% and 12% of all incidents in the year, respectively.

The most common bias motivation reported in 2023 was religion, representing almost half of all reported hate crimes. Race, ethnicity and national origin were motivating factors for about one-third of reported hate crimes, according to the report. Sexual orientation made up for about 17% of reported incidents.

The report found since 2018 hate crimes against Jewish and Muslim people rose by 89% and 106%, respectively. In 2023, antisemitic bias incidents accounted for the largest share of religious-based hate crimes.

The Hate Crimes Act required statewide hate crime data collection and annual reporting. The State Division of Criminal Justice Services is responsible for collecting and analyzing the data to later inform state policy and protective measures, the report said.

In April 2024, the New York Fiscal Year 2025 Budget added the Hate Crime Modernization Act, updating the Hate Crimes Act to classify 23 additional offenses as hate crimes. Additional offenses include bias-motivated gang assaults, sexual abuse and false incident reports.

Between 2019 and 2023, hate crimes rose in NYC by 59.3%, while the rest of the state saw an 87.5% increase, according to the report. In 2023, hate crimes in both NYC and the state increased by 12.6% and 12.9%, respectively.

The state budget also increased grant funding in 2022 to improve security and support for nonprofit organizations at higher risk of hate crimes. The state has allocated $10 million to support the development of local Threat Assessment and Management teams, which are dedicated to assessing and managing threats of targeted violence.

In response to the rise in hate-based crime, the state’s Division of Human Rights established the Hate and Bias Prevention Unit in 2022. DHR has 10 units across New York state that partner with community organizations to develop prevention strategies, offer support and education and resolve conflicts.

“Fighting hatred and bigotry demands that we communicate with, respect and accept our neighbors,” DiNapoli said in the release. “It requires our spiritual, political, community and business leaders to take active roles in denouncing hate, investing in prevention and protection efforts, and increasing education that celebrates the value of New York’s diversity.”

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article included a graph that displayed inaccurate data. The Daily Orange regrets this error.

Published on August 28, 2024 at 11:54 pm

Contact Delia: dsrangel@syr.edu