The number of hate crimes in Los Angeles reached a 19-year high in 2021 according to a report made by the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations (LACCHR) that was published on Dec. 7. There were 23% more hate crimes in Los Angeles in 2021 compared to the year prior. The city has not recorded this many hate crimes since 2002.
Attacks that targeted people based on their sexual orientation rose by 15% and made up 17% of all hate crimes in the city, 85% of these attacks were on gay men. Transphobic attacks rose by 24% compared to the previous year and almost tied the highest number ever reported.
There was a 17% increase in racially motivated crimes in 2021. Attacks targeting Blacks, Latinos, Asians and Middle Easterners “all rose dramatically,” according to the report. The overall rate of hate-based violence reached a 20-year high in 2021. While Blacks only constitute 9% of the county’s population, they comprised 46% of the county’s racial crime victims. 25% of racial crime victims were Latino and 16% were Asian.
The amount of hate crimes in Los Angeles rose by 23% in 2021, with 786 reported crimes compared to the 641 in 2020. The LAACCHR has compiled & produced these annual reports since 1980 by using data provided by law enforcement agencies, community-based organizations and educational institutions.