China News Service, January 28. The American Overseas Chinese News reported that preliminary statistics released by the San Francisco Police Department on Tuesday (25th) show that the incidence of hate crimes against Asian Pacific Americans in San Francisco in 2021 will soar 567% from the previous year.

In this regard, the mayor of the city said the number was desperate.

　　According to the Associated Press, San Francisco Mayor London Breed said the actual number of hate crime victims may be higher because some people are reluctant to call the police, and she pledged to continue to support the Asian-American community.

　　Preliminary statistics show that there will be 60 Asian victims of hate crimes in San Francisco in 2021, up from nine reported in 2020.

Notably, about half of the victims in 2021 were allegedly targeted by the same man.

Officials have not released the man's name, but say the suspect has been charged with vandalizing at least 20 Asian-related establishments.

　　Breed said at a news conference on the 25th that she would be heartbroken if the grandmother who raised her also suffered from "the attacks that Asian Pacific American seniors get."

"But a tragedy like this hasn't happened yet, because Asian Americans as a whole are protecting each other. And now, we need to do more than ever."

　　Hateistic attacks against Asian Americans have surged across the country during the pandemic, in part because then-President Trump stigmatized the coronavirus and used it to disparage China.

The Stop AAPI Hate coalition, created by San Francisco State University, recorded more than 10,000 hate incidents from March 2020 through September 2021.

　　Videos of Asians being attacked and robbed on the streets are common in San Francisco and elsewhere in the United States.

The attacks have shocked Asian Americans, with older adults forced to abandon their homes for fear.

Recently, Michelle Alyssa Go, a former Bay Area resident, was killed in New York after being pushed off a subway platform by a deranged man.

While local officials said there was no indication the man was racially biased, Asian-Pacific Americans remained uneasy.

　　San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said on the 25th that they have improved the hate crime reporting hotline, allowing reports in multiple languages, and are sharing safety tips for the Asian community during the Spring Festival.

But Scott also admitted that the police department is only a part of the judicial system, and the lawsuits and judges' rulings about Asian hate crimes will also have a greater impact.

　　此外，旧金山警局的统计数据无法反映全部的真实情况。由于一些仇恨犯罪嫌疑人缺少明确的种族偏见表述，检察官往往无法以仇恨犯罪为其定罪。这让一些受害者及其家属深感沮丧，认为仇恨犯罪者无需承担法律责任。(完)