Jul 16, 2024 | Bakersfield, Local, Los Angeles, Valleys

Is California Winning the Fight Against Hate Crimes? A Look at the 2023 Report

While headlines might tempt us to declare victory, California’s 2023 Hate Crime Report paints a more complex picture. Released by the Department of Justice (DOJ), the report highlights ongoing challenges alongside promising solutions.

CARE Officials – Screenshot from Zoom Briefing

By Kathleen Untalan | Contributing Writer

Cat Nou, Director of DOJ’s Office of Community Awareness, Response, and Engagement (CARE), emphasizes the critical importance of addressing hate crimes and ensuring public safety. However, Nou underscores a persistent obstacle: under-reporting. This lack of comprehensive data hinders efforts by community leaders to tackle these issues effectively.

The report details how hate crime data is collected, analyzed, and published. It uses specific criteria like biases, victim-offender differences, and situational factors to identify hate crimes.

In 2023, there was a notable decrease in reported hate crime events, offenses, victims, and suspects compared to 2022. Specifically, hate crime events decreased by 7.1%, offenses by 8.9%, victims by 6.9%, and suspects by 9.2%. This suggests a potential stabilization or decline in the incidence of hate crimes for the year.

Over the last decade, reported hate crime events have shown a substantial increase of 159.9%. Despite fluctuations from year to year, this long-term trend underscores ongoing challenges in combating hate-motivated incidents.

While there was an overall decrease in racial bias events by 21.6%, certain categories such as anti-Black or African American bias, though decreased by 20.6%, remained the most prevalent. This indicates persistent challenges in addressing racism and discrimination against Black communities despite an overall decrease.

Reported hate crime events involving religious bias increased significantly by 30% in 2023. The notable rise in anti-Jewish bias events, up by 52.9%, underscores specific challenges faced by religious minority communities.

There was a slight overall increase in sexual orientation bias events by 3.6%. This includes a decrease in anti-gay male bias events but a substantial increase in anti-LGBTQ+ bias events, highlighting differing trends within the broader category of sexual orientation bias.

Gender bias events totaled 82 in 2023. The increase in anti-transgender bias events suggests ongoing challenges for transgender individuals, despite a decrease in anti-gender nonconforming bias events.

The DOJ’s responsibilities include monthly data collection, quality control, training law enforcement, and publishing annual reports. The Open Justice platform offers public access to these reports and related data, promoting transparency and accountability.

Michael Redding and Damon Brown reaffirmed the Attorney General’s commitment to combating hate through collaboration with law enforcement, community organizations, and leaders. They emphasized the DOJ’s role in ensuring the integrity and accuracy of hate crime data and highlighted the importance of reporting and education in preventing hate crimes.

CA Attorney General Rob Bonta

Established by Attorney General Rob Bonta in 2021, the Racial Justice Bureau within the Civil Rights Enforcement Section aims to combat racial injustice by enforcing civil rights laws against hate crimes. The bureau collaborates with local leaders and stakeholders to address issues such as hate crimes, bias in policing, and discriminatory policies in education. It also supports the reparations task force addressing inequalities from historical injustices.

The Ralph Civil Rights Act provides remedies for victims of violence or threats based on membership in protected categories, including injunctive relief, actual damages, punitive damages, and attorney’s fees. Claims under this act typically require evidence of physical contact or threats.

The DOJ plays a pivotal role in fighting hate by collecting data, engaging with the community, and supporting local law enforcement in prosecuting hate crimes. To facilitate hate crime investigations and prosecutions, the DOJ has appointed a statewide hate crime coordinator.

The California Civil Rights Department also combats hate through civil enforcement of anti-discrimination laws and initiatives like California vs. Hate, a resource line for reporting and support. The department collaborates with other state agencies to ensure comprehensive protection against hate and discrimination.

The California vs. Hate hotline assists individuals in reporting all forms of hate, including crimes, incidents, and discrimination, without requiring involvement with law enforcement. The hotline offers culturally competent services, such as mental health resources and civil legal services, through an extensive network of community-based organizations.

In the past year, the hotline has connected people to over 100 types of services and received more than 1,000 reports of hate. Emphasizing trauma-informed care and cultural competence, the hotline offers services in over 200 languages. Future plans include improving the online reporting process and launching awareness campaigns to further support the community.

Despite some positive trends, California’s 2023 Hate Crime Report underscores the need for continued vigilance. The state’s comprehensive approach, including data collection, community engagement, and victim support, aims to foster a safer and more inclusive environment for all residents.

For more information on reporting hate crimes or accessing support services, visit CAvsHate.org or call 833-8-NO-HATE (833-866-4283).

This resource was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library via California Black Media as part of the Stop the Hate Program. The program is supported by partnership with California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.