Hate crimes in L.A. County continue at record levels, new report finds
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Hate crimes in Los Angeles County remained near record-high levels in 2024, despite slight decreases in several types of violent incidents, according to a report released Thursday.The findings from the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations, presented at a news conference in Koreatown, said there were 1,355 reported hate crimes victims in the county during 2024, a 1% decrease from the prior year.“To get a sense of the magnitude, that total represents an average of nearly four hate crimes in each day,” said Robin Toma, the commission’s executive director.Toma said hate crimes continuing locally at historic rates can be partially attributed to improved reporting, along with partnerships between law enforcement agencies, and community organizations such as LA vs.Hate and 211LA.Anti-Black hate crimes accounted for a majority of the reported incidents at 51%, with the total number of victims increasing from 325 in 2023 to 345 last year.
The data maintain a years-long pattern of overrepresentation of Black individuals as victims in racially driven incidents.The report cited one incident in December last year, when a Black woman driving her car in Long Beach said a white perpetrator began to yell slurs at her and brandish a weapon “about 8 times.”Professor emeritus Brian Levin, founding director at the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, said “socially scapegoated groups” bear the brunt of violent hate crimes.
Simple assaults, aggravated assaults and robberies all rose to varying degrees, which — including vandalism — accounted for 88% of all reported hate crimes, according to the commission’s report.Hate crimes against the Middle Eastern community increased sevenfold, the report found, the largest rise of any racial category.Crimes that involved language regarding the conflict in the Middle East accounted for 6% of all total incidents.
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