• fukhueson@lemmy.worldOP
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    5 months ago

    https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/01/05/hate-crimes-hit-record-levels-in-2023-why-2024-could-be-even-worse/72118808007/

    The number of hate crimes reported to police in the nation’s 10 largest cities rose again in 2023, according to preliminary data released Friday from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University.

    The annual study found at least 2,184 hate crimes were reported across New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, and Austin last year, an increase of nearly 13% from 2022 driven in part by upticks in anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim attacks amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. A larger analysis of 25 American cities found hate crimes increased an average of 17% from 2022, according to the study.

    “The top 10 cities generally match what’s going to happen nationally,” said Brian Levin, professor emeritus and founder of the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.

    New York and Los Angeles saw some of the largest increases in anti-Jewish hate crimes, rising 12.6% and 48% respectively, while Los Angeles and Chicago saw 40% and 300% increases in anti-Muslim hate crimes, according to the study.

    “It just explodes after October 7,” Levin said, referencing the day Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 Israelis and took more than 240 hostages.

    Levin said the data indicates national FBI hate crime data will also likely show a record number of anti-Jewish hate crimes when it is released later in the year. He said anti-Muslim hate crimes could also reach their highest levels since the last peak between 2015 and 2017.