Hate crimes stats show need for renewed vigilance
On Wednesday, the Toronto Police Service released its annual hate crime report. While every Torontonian has a vested interest in these trends, as a member of two at-risk groups — the Jewish community and the LGBTQ+ community — I reviewed the report with a keen eye.
The latest figures are alarming and worth examining. In 2017, the total number of hate crimes increased by 28 per cent over the previous year. With186 incidents, an average of one every 48 hours, the city saw a 15-year high in the number of hate crimes.
Incidents against the Jewish community escalated by 23 per cent (from 43 to 53 crimes). While Jews are only 3.8 per cent of Toronto’s residents, they are victims of 28 per cent of all hate crimes and the city’s most frequently targeted minority. The LGBTQ+ community was also a targeted group, with 22 hate crimes against LGBTQ+ victims in 2017. Some groups within this diverse community are exceptionally vulnerable to hate and discrimination, including trans and queer people of colour, as a result of their intersectional identities.
We should all be alarmed and concerned that, as the report notes, anti- LGBTQ+ hate crimes are among the most violent. Disturbingly, 36 per cent of hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community were assaults in some form, including assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm.
In reflecting on this week’s report, I would suggest readers consider three key takeaways.
First, our communities are stronger when we are united against hate. No one should turn a blind eye when someone from another community is targeted simply for their identity — be it LGBTQ+, Jewish, Muslim, or Black, to name just a few at-risk groups.
Cross-community solidarity is key to overcoming the sense of isolation that affects targeted groups in the wake of a hate crime. To dismiss anti-Semitism as a “Jewish” issue or homophobia as a “gay issue” is to ignore the fact that all forms of bigotry are inherently linked. Doing so also neglects the real threat that hate and extremism pose to broader society. When vulnerable groups become less secure, this is usually a sign of deeper societal corrosion.
Second, we must embrace a sense of resilience against hate, rooted in the knowledge of how far we have come. The fight against bigotry today is not what it was for previous generations.
One hate crime is one too many. Behind each statistic is someone whose life has been permanently impacted by hate. Every victim deserves our empathy and support. While we must remain vigilant, we should also recognize that hate-mongers have lost the battle for hearts and minds.
It is telling that Toronto Police noted: “Analysis of cases where offenders have been identified revealed that, in the majority of cases, the offenders had no known association to any commonly known hate groups.”
While extreme groups have gained traction in Europe, their toxic messages have been widely rejected in Canada. Polls show that, despite hateful views at the margins of society, Canadians overwhelmingly reject anti-Semitism, homophobia, and other forms of bigotry.
Third, we must recognize we have strong allies in this cause, including elected officials across political lines. Just as we commend their efforts, we must urge government and policy-makers to do more. The Ontario election is a timely opportunity for all parties to make a priority of combating hate.
Across Ontario, at-risk groups spend millions annually to protect their places of worship, community centres, and schools. The next provincial government should provide support for these communities to help offset security personnel and training costs.
Many police agencies in our province, even those in diverse cities, lack dedicated hate crime units and would benefit from more resources in this area. And when it comes to hate speech, Ontario must remain a national leader in laying charges under the Criminal Code where necessary (as the attorney general rightly did in the case of those behind Your Ward News).
Toronto remains one of the world’s safest and most welcoming cities for minorities. This week’s report should remind us that, even in a place as great as Toronto, there is still much work to be done. Let’s roll up our sleeves together.