Examining Hate Crime Statistics

Posted on by November 15, 2018

Lakewood resident Steve Willson did the following analysis:

Hate Crimes Up — and Down

The FBI just released their annual report on hate crimes in the U.S. It’s useful to look at the data in more than one way to gain perspective.
First, how serious an issue is “hate crime”?

Well, in 2017, there were 1.2 million violent crimes reported to the FBI and 7.7 million property crimes.

Of these incidents, a little over 7,000 were classified as hate crimes.

Hate crimes constituted 0.04% of all crimes against property and 0.33% of all violent crimes.

Second, what is the trend in hate crimes?

The good news is that hate crimes are far lower than at their historical peaks. The bad news is the last few years have seen a large increase.

FBI statistics go back to 1996. Since then, incidents of hate crimes against blacks have fallen by 45%.

Undoubtedly the fall from earlier periods, before the FBI began tracking such statistics, is much greater.

However, in the three years since 2014, the number of incidents of hate crimes against blacks has increased 24%.

Hate crimes against Jews is down 15% from the peak recorded in 2000 but is up 54% since 2014.

Hate crimes against Muslims jumped in after 9/11, jumping from 28 incidents in 2000 to 481 incidents in 2001.

Fortunately, after that, the number of incidents fell sharply, to 155 the next year. From the peak, incidents involving Muslims has fallen 43%.

However, the increase since 2014 is 77%.

Hate crimes based on sexual orientation peaked in 2001 and has fallen 19% since then.

The increase since 2014 is 11%.

Third, how is hate crime distributed?

Hate crimes against

  • blacks constitute about 28% of all incident
  • sexual orientation 16%
  • Jewish 13% and
  • Muslim 4%

Comments

Examining Hate Crime Statistics — 33 Comments

  1. But of course there is no such thing as Anti-White hate crimes, ask anyone who lives in
    a city/state controlled by DEMOCRATS.
    Cultural Marxism, brought to you by the DEMOCRAT party.

  3. I hope Steve runs for office one day. He basically just gave carts blanche to say he is an apologist for the increase in hate crimes.

  4. There is a difference between tragedy and epidemic. If you read nothing but the popular press, you’d think the country is overrun with crime, and especially hate crime. The purpose of my research is to provide context: how bad is it and what is the trend.

    To read intent into facts, especially ill intent, is unwarranted.

    Further, I view public policy from public health perspective: where are the real problems?

    To provide a little more perspective, we had 72,000 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. last year.

    The total number of people murdered in 2017 was about 19,000.

    The total number of people murdered in 2017 because of religion, sexual orientation or race was 15.

    So, are hate crimes odious? Yes they are. Each one is a tragedy.

    Are we facing an epidemic of hate crimes? No, we aren’t.

    Is the situation worsening? Hard to say. It disturbs me that the numbers are up so sharply. I hope this is a temporary spike and the numbers revert to the long term trend. But we don’t know yet.

    What we do know is that even with this recent increase, the numbers are still far below historical levels. And, as I note, the FBI numbers only go back to 1996.

    I have much better memory of what life was like before 1996.

    When I was a child, it took the National Guard to integrate an Arkansas school. Lest we think this was just a “Southern” problem, the town I grew up in — Galesburg, Illinois — had segregated beaches and in 1959 refused to graduate a young black man because he came to the white beach. This boy had two college scholarships that were withdrawn because he didn’t graduate.

    In 1964, when I was six years old, I remember being shoved around at the school bus stop because I was Catholic and John Kennedy had the temerity to run for President.

    The last lynching in this country was in 1981.

    Things are much better than they used to be. Perfect? Hardly! But much better.

    Let us hope the recent trend is just a blip.

  6. “See look at the racist climate I’m America! It’s decreasing! No matter the weather (aka blip)! “

    Think you can apply the same logic to global climate change?

    “Wow, look – it snowed outside, but that’s just a blip! The climate temp is imcreasinv! I wonder why?!”

    Steve’s blip and global climate change are caused by hot air – Trump’s and Emissions – both of which contain CO2!

  7. Spotlight, if you look at the numbers, you’ll see the trend reversed in 2014.

  8. Here’s a little more perspective, closer to home.

    Year-to-date, there have been 500 murders in Chicago, 128 fewer than last year.

    That’s more EVERY WEEK in Chicago than die IN A YEAR NATIONWIDE as victims of hate crimes.

    Of these 500, more than 50 were children. But murder has become so common in Chicago that when a child is shot dead here, it barely makes the news.

    Again, from a public policy perspective, from a public health perspective, which is the greater issue?

  10. Out of towner: A well taken point. Unfortunately I can’t find data from the FBI showing how much of the increase is due to a higher number of reporting agencies. If you can help out here, that would be great.

  11. Anyone notice what party was in the white house during the higher number of hate crimes? And the current trend?

  13. Per the top investigative authority in the U.S.:

    “Hate crimes are the highest priority of the FBI’s Civil Rights program, not only because of the devastating impact they have on families and communities, but also because groups that preach hatred and intolerance can plant the seed of terrorism here in our country. The Bureau investigates hundreds of these cases every year and works to detect and deter further incidents through law enforcement training, public outreach, and partnerships with a myriad of community groups.

    Traditionally, FBI investigations of hate crimes were limited to crimes in which the perpetrators acted based on a bias against the victim’s race, color, religion, or national origin. In addition, investigations were restricted to those wherein the victim was engaged in a federally protected activity. With the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, the Bureau became authorized to investigate these crimes without this prohibition. This landmark legislation also expanded the role of the FBI to allow for the investigation of hate crimes committed against those based on biases of actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or gender.”

    Per the Authority, a new classification of hate crime started being tracked in 2009. So, the graph above does not take that into account. Also, what about hate crimes against other categories such as against people of origins such as Asians, Latinos, Whites, etc?

  14. According to the Bureau:

    “Defining a Hate Crime

    A hate crime is a traditional offense like murder, arson, or vandalism with an added element of bias. For the purposes of collecting statistics, the FBI has defined a hate crime as a “criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.” Hate itself is not a crime—and the FBI is mindful of protecting freedom of speech and other civil liberties.”

    Very interesting that the Bureau says that “Hate is not a crime”. Obviously only those who actually “act” on their hatred commit a crime.

  15. A Government Agency and their publishing of statistics?

    I believe the head shrinkers call this co-dependency.

  16. In 2016 the population covered by jurisdictions reporting hate crime statistics shows as 289,814,003.

    In 2016, 15,254 law enforcement agencies participated in the Hate Crime Statistics Program. Of these agencies, 1,776 reported 6,121 hate crime incidents involving 7,321 offenses.

    In 2017 the population covered by jurisdictions reporting hate crime statistics shows as 306,435,676.

    In 2017, 16,149 law enforcement agencies participated in the Hate Crime Statistics Program. Of these agencies, 2,040 reported 7,175 hate crime incidents involving 8,437 offenses.

    In 2016 hate crime incidence of one for every 47,347 people.
    In 2017 hate crime incidence of one for every 42,709 people.

  17. The entire concept of “hate crime”
    Equates to nothing short of the Orwellian Thought Police.

    Committing first degree murder is committing first degree murder.

    Imposing a stiffer sentence because of your thoughts or biases toward a specific race or religion is making your thoughts, themselves, a punishable crime.

  18. Absolutely brilliant!

    Steve posits a conversation point.

    Liberals jump in with the “poopiehead argument” and conservatives have a conversation which proves “hate crime” is lessening overall.

    This proves, for the umpteenth time, liberals lack the upbringing, education and/or intelligence to have a conversation.

    Conversational training and ability are considered foundational to societal success.

    Actually having a conversation is harder than yelling idiocies in a crowded room but easier than societal breakdown because mommy didn’t raise you properly.

    Try harder liberals.

    Steve, occasionally in a fit of optimism, tries to spark you to intelligent interaction.

    You’ve failed.

    Again.

  19. Nice work, Out of towner. I couldn’t find it on the FBI web site. Do me a favor and post the web site.

  21. Honest Abe IS honest! What about the Anti-White, Anti-Christian, Anti-Homeschooler stats?

    the laugh is that most of the so called hate crimes are caused by other minorities!! When a PR gang member shoots a black that’s a hate crime. When a black ‘Trans-sexual’ gets plugged on Chicago’s south side, that’s aby another black. When a black robs a Pakistani-manned gas station, that’s a hate crime too. Goldman Sach’s financial crimes against gentiles are all hate crimes too, on a massive scale. What about that?

  23. Thanks, Out of towner. Good insight and I appreciate the direction.

    Out of towner raised a valid point: the number of agencies reporting hate crimes each year and the population covered by these agencies varies from year to year.

    I added data this data to my original analysis to calculate the crime rate and found one significant change and one modest change in the conclusions:
    * The crime rate per 100,000 population declined 41.8% rather than 26.3% between 2001 and 2017.
    * The crime rate increased 27.3% rather than 31.0% between 2014 and 2017.

    So the decline from the reported peak (acknowledging that figures from historical periods are probably much higher) is much greater than originally indicated. This is good news.

    And the increase in the last few years is very modestly lower.

  25. Let’s just spell out for a dullard named Priest:

    If Crime Statistics show a macro-trend in a decrease of racially motivated crime. What does Steve say, “How encouraging!”

    But when Global Climate shows a macro-trend in an increase of temperatures across the world. What do you say? “Nothing to seee heeere!”

    To quote Cal’s favorite Nazi, “Verrrryyyyy Interestingggg.”

  26. What about hate crimes against police and law enforcement? The previous president of 8 years was heard a number of times dissing the police and there were a lot of shootings against police during his 8 years in office. He had a friend name Al who visited the white house a lot and Al supported a group that promoted violence against police per their rhetoric. Al and his people hated the police.

  27. Every crime is a hate crime.
    No one purposely does bad things to people they like.

  28. Aahhh… The poopiehead argument married to a non sequitor argument offered by a long time failed liberal commenter.

    Try harder sweet pea.

    You’re almost to the level of stupid reached by Moderate… Wait, Extreme… Wait, All liberals ever… HA!

    You can always count on The Stupids to prove their lack of worth and intellect immediately.

    Awesome.

  32. What about the NorthWest Herald’s Hate Crimes against conservatives?

  33. Spit-Lite is a Franks operative — or the rat Franks himself!

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