Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Announces Number of Hate Crimes in California Holds Steady

Thursday, August 11, 2011
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

SAN FRANCISCO --- Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced that the number of reported hate crimes in California held steady in 2010. In 2010, there were 1,107 hate crime events reported statewide, and in 2009 the number of hate crimes reported statewide was 1,100.

“A crime that is motivated by hate is a crime against all people,” Attorney General Harris said. “We will monitor and prosecute these cases to the fullest extent of the law.”

The Attorney General’s report, “Hate Crime in California 2010” was accumulated using data collection programs developed by the California Department of Justice, police agencies, and district attorney’s offices in all of the state’s 58 counties.

In 2010, there were 7 more reported hate crimes events than in 2009, an increase of 0.6 percent.

Anti-Jewish hate crimes decreased by 20 percent from the previous year, anti-black crimes decreased by 13.8 percent, and anti-gay crimes decreased by 10.8 percent. However, anti-Hispanic hate crimes increased 46.9 percent, from 81 in 2009 to 119 in 2010.

A total of 361 hate crime cases were referred to prosecutors in 2010, fewer than the 479 cases referred in 2009. Of the 361 criminal cases that were filed, 230 were hate crimes. Of the 166 hate crimes with dispositions in 2010, there were 151 convictions (70 hate crime convictions and 81 other convictions).

The hate crime reporting system was implemented by the Department of Justice in 1994. Law enforcement agencies are required to submit copies of initial crime reports to the department, and each agency has established procedures incorporating a two-tier review process. The first level is done by the initial officer who responded to the suspected hate crime incident. Then each report is reviewed by at least one other officer to confirm that the event was, in fact, a hate crime.

The California Attorney General’s Office published its first hate crimes report in 1995. All previous reports can be found at: http://ag.ca.gov/cjsc/publications/hatecrimes/pub.php

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PDF icon 2010 Hate Crime Report533.15 KB