Hate Crimes in LA County Reach Highest Level in 20 Years

Results from  Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations show hates crimes are are among the highest seen since 2002

By Susan Payne

The Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations recently released its 2021 Hate Crime Report, and the results are among the highest seen since 2002. 

Reporting a 23% increase in hate crimes since 2020, the report noted 786 victims of hate crimes in 2021 with more than half of the violence spurred by racism. Blacks, Latinos, Jews and LGBTQ individuals were among the highest violently targeted groups. 

Only 49 cases were referred to the district attorney’s office in 2021, according to the report, and of those 49 cases, charges were filed in 42 cases. Of the adults prosecuted, the report stated 31 were charged with felonies and nine with misdemeanors.

“We really feel it’s necessary to not hide the ugly reality of hate violence in our communities, which is what these findings and numbers represent,” said Robin Toma, the executive director of the Human Relations Commission, at a news conference on the report.

Toma attributed part of the increase to the fact that the county has made it easier to report hate crimes in recent years. In 2020, the county launched its LA vs Hate initiative, which includes a government hotline (211) for reporting hate crimes.

Political polarization also likely fueled the increase. In the last 11 months, the Los Angeles Times said the country has a massacre of Black shoppers at a Buffalo, New York, grocery store and a rampage at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn said during the report conference that the country was in the throes of a “hate crisis.”

District Attorney George Gascón said the uptick in hate crimes has continued through 2022 and that his office filed a record number of criminal cases involving hate crimes this year. 

“The numbers are clearly troubling,” Gascón said. “I have to say that I’m deeply disturbed about what we’re seeing.”

The report highlighted an increase of hate crimes in every category compared to 2020. Twenty five more hate crimes motivated by religion. Of the 111 religious-motivated crimes, three quarters of them targeted Jews. 

Eighteen more crimes related to sexual orientation were reported. Of 140 sexual orientation-motivated crimes, 85% targeted gay men. 

In the report, there were 67 more hate crimes motivated by race. Of the 473 racial hate crimes, half of those victims were Black, in a county where Black resident make up 9% of the population, according to the LA Times. 

Anti-Asian hate crimes amassed 77 – the most in two decades. 

The report also listed some of those hate crimes in detail: 

  • In January of 2021, a maintenance worker reported a Santa Clarita elementary school covered in antisemitic graffiti. 
  • A Hollywood-based LGBTQ organization was threatened by a person who said they would shoot people at the facility, who also used racial slurs. 
  • A driver in West Los Angeles threw a metal coil and a bottle at an Iranian woman, yelling insults. 

Although the report presented data from 2021, experts have said the trend is continuing into 2022. 

The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino analyzed data from the Los Angeles Police Department and found that hate crimes in Los Angeles rose by 12% in the first 10 months of 2022 over the same period in 2021. The center also analyzed that hate crimes targeting Black people rose 38% — to 168 from 122 — and anti-Jewish hate crimes went up 13%, to 80 from 71.

Brian Levin, the director of the center, told the LA Times he expects the number of hate crimes to continue rising into 2023 with high-profile figures such as Kanye West openly spouting antisemitic remarks online and in interviews. Two months ago, a hate group waved a banner on a 405 Freeway overpass in Los Angeles in support of the rapper’s comments, according to the LA Times.

“It’s not just the kind of antisemitic attack now that occurs where someone wants to be anonymous in a dark alley,” Levin told the LA Times. “This is an in-your-face brazen type of antisemitism.”

in News
Related Posts

Santa Monica City Council to Discuss Homelessness Strategic Plan and New Police SMART Center

March 11, 2025

March 11, 2025

Public input will be accepted on various agenda items, with discussions scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. The Santa Monica...

Major Storms Set to Soak Los Angeles as Back-To-Back Storm Systems Poised to Hit Area

March 11, 2025

March 11, 2025

Heavy Rain, Flooding Risks, Mountain Snow Are on the Way ​Los Angeles is preparing for a series of storms expected...

Deadline Approaches for Fire-Affected Worker, Business and Household Relief Grants

March 10, 2025

March 10, 2025

The relief programs are part of a broader $32.2 million initiative funded through the American Rescue Plan Act and community...

LA Recovery Officer Unveils “Builders Alliance” to Accelerate Palisades Fire Recovery

March 10, 2025

March 10, 2025

The coalition aimed at expediting rebuilding efforts while reducing costs City officials and developers have unveiled a collaborative effort to...

Palisades Fire Evacuee Identified as Woman Found Dead on Santa Monica Beach

March 10, 2025

March 10, 2025

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner later determined her cause of death to be blunt force head trauma Authorities have...

Palisades Residents Join Lawsuit Against LADWP Over Fire Response: REPORT

March 10, 2025

March 10, 2025

According to the lawsuit, LADWP designed a system that lacked sufficient water pressure Twenty-five additional Pacific Palisades residents affected by...

Owners of Palisades Villa Seek to Rebuild, Help its Displaced Residents

March 10, 2025

March 10, 2025

The fundraiser states that the loss has left them in a dire financial situation A Pacific Palisades couple who lost...

1920s-Era Venice Apartment Building Goes on Market for $5.6M

March 10, 2025

March 10, 2025

Built in 1925, the two-story structure sits on a 7,684-square-foot corner lot A 1920s-era apartment building located at 923-933 N...

County Supervisor to Push For New Homelessness Department in Response to LAHSA Audit

March 10, 2025

March 10, 2025

Horvath labeled LAHSA’s issues “a nightmare,” aligning with growing frustration among elected officials Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath called...

Executive Function Coaching Practice Opens in Santa Monica 

March 10, 2025

March 10, 2025

By Susan Payne Forgetful. Unorganized. Distracted. Impulsive. These may be difficult, yet commonly used words to describe yourself, or a...

Rifkin Raanan Leads Renowned Beverly Hills Cosmetic Dentistry

March 9, 2025

March 9, 2025

By Susan Payne Subtle differences in training, expertise, technological capabilities and amenities make all the difference when choosing the best...

‘All in One’: Mirror Mirror Med Spa Specializes in Skin, Face and Body Treatments

March 9, 2025

March 9, 2025

One of the top med spas in Los Angeles is at the top for a reason: state-of-the-art, minimally invasive, customized...

(Video) Where great minds grow at The Willows Community School

March 7, 2025

March 7, 2025

The Willows, a DK-8 co-educational school, enrolls 474 students from 57+ zip codes annually. As a balanced, progressive educational leader, experiential learning,...

Woman Arrested in Connection With Santa Monica Arson Fires

March 6, 2025

March 6, 2025

The Fires Were Set at Multiple Locations, Including a Trash Container Near a Bus Stop A woman was arrested early...

THIS WEEKEND: Mardi Gras Parade Returns to Venice Boardwalk

March 6, 2025

March 6, 2025

The Tradition of Mardi Gras in Venice Dates Back to 1914 When a Louisiana Native Introduced the Celebration to the...