China News Service, August 17. According to the US "World Daily" report, Crosstown, a non-profit organization under the USC (USC), pointed out that in the first half of 2022, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) registered hate crimes, and there are already 349, an increase of 20% from 299 in the same period in 2021.
If this trend does not change, this year's record may break last year's record again; 596 hate crimes will be committed in 2021, a record high.
The director of the Center for Hate and Extremism at the University of California, San Bernardino, told Crosstown that because of the election in the second half of the year, politicians' excessive speeches may induce all kinds of targeted hatred and make hate crimes more rampant.
The LAPD defines hate crimes as attacks, harm, and threats against gender, race, ethnicity, or disability.
Not just in California, but the United States has seen an increase in the number of hate crimes in recent years.
In 2021, crimes against Asian Americans have increased significantly, but in the first half of 2022, there were 16 crimes, down from 23 in the same period last year.
Hate crimes against blacks increased 15 percent from a year earlier to 90.
Of the 349 hate crimes in the first half of 2022, 45% involved assault, harm, and one-sixth were sabotage or unarmed threats.
While police statistics can be used as a guideline, experts believe there are more hacks, possibly for reasons including fear of reprisals, a sense of alienation or a lack of trust in the police.