Reported hate crimes in New York State have increased by nearly 70% since 2019 – X101 Always Classic

According to the New York State Comptroller's Office, hate crimes across New York State have increased sharply over the past five years, with 1,089 incidents reported in 2023 alone. Last year saw the highest number of reported hate crimes since the NY Hate Crime Act began mandating data collection and annual reporting in 2000.

A report by Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli shows that reported hate crimes have increased 69% since 2019. A hate crime is a crime motivated by either a perception or belief related to a victim's race, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation or other protected characteristic, according to the Comptroller's Office.

“New York is a center of diverse cultures, faiths and identities whose strength has always been in creating community bonds that unite us,” said DiNapoli. “Fighting hate and bigotry requires that we communicate with, respect and accept our neighbors. Our intellectual, political, civic and economic leaders must take an active role in condemning hate, investing in prevention and protection measures, and improving education that celebrates the value of New York's diversity.”

Over the past five years, hate crimes have increased, with the total number of reported incidents doubling between 2018 and 2023. The Audit Office notes that these numbers may not reflect reality, as some victims are hesitant to report incidents for reasons such as language barriers, fear of retaliation and distrust of law enforcement.

“Hate crimes against individuals and property have increased since 2018, but hate crimes involving attacks on persons increased faster starting in 2021 and were more common than property crimes. In 2018, crimes against persons accounted for 41% of all hate crimes; in 2022, they rose to 52%. This year, nearly half of all hate crime reports involved an assault charge, compared to 39% in 2018.”

The Audit Office announced this in a press release.

Initiatives to combat the rise in hate crimes continue at both state and federal levels in key policy areas such as education, mental health services and online safety.