LA County hate crime reports gain 20% in 2020

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The number of hate crimes reported last year in Los Angeles County was the highest in 12 years, led by a spike in racial crimes, the county Commission on Human Relations said, Wednesday, in an annual report.

The total of 635 hate crimes reported in 2020 was a 20% increase over the previous year, and 61% were racist crimes, the report said.

African Americans, who are just 9% of the county population, accounted for 42% of racial crime victims, according to the report. A total of 169 anti-Black crimes were reported.

Anti-Latino crimes were up 58% to 106 and anti-white crimes jumped to 50, a 127% increase. The report’s statistics also reflected the trend of hate crimes targeting Asians, which increased 76%, from 25 to 44. “This report is another

alarming reminder that we have a long way to go in building a more inclusive and just society,” said Hilda L. Solis, chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

The LA County findings are similar to a June report by the state attorney general that found hate crime in California surged 31% in 2020, fueled mainly by a big jump in crimes targeting Black people.

California saw large protests in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. And it also saw a surge in attacks on people of Asian descent following the emergence of the Coronavirus in China.

The Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations has produced a report on hate crimes since 1980. The commission compiles and analyzes data from law enforcement agencies, educational institutions and community-based organizations.