Report: Los Angeles on pace to surpass already disturbing hate crime rate

A study from Crosstown at USC, a nonprofit news organization operating out of the USC Annenberg School of Journalism, shows that the City of Los Angeles is once again on track to shatter a previous record for hate crimes. 

A record that was set just last year with nearly 600 hate crimes reported to Los Angeles Police Department alone, numbers indicate that the city is currently on pace for more than 700. In the first six months of 2022, LAPD records show that 349 hate crimes were reported — a 16.9% spike from the same time frame in 2021.

LAPD defines hate crimes as any instance in which a victim is targeted based on race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or disability.

The City of Angels reported the most-ever hate crimes in a one month span in May, with 78 total incident reports filed by LAPD. That disturbingly high number was followed by the 71 hate crimes in June, which is the second-highest in city history. 

According to Crosstown, LA averaged between 20 and 40 hate crimes per month prior to the pandemic. 

The numbers, according to the study, show one community being targeted the most. 

"African American Angelenos are by far the victims of hate motivated attacks more than any other group in Los Angeles," Carter Hyde, a reporter with Crosstown LA, told CBSLA. 

Hyde said that 2022 is no different and that LA is on track to hit another record in reported hate crimes. 

"So, 2021 was a record breaking year with 596 reported hate crimes in the City of Los Angeles, and what's even more worrisome is that those numbers are going during the first half of this year," Hyde said. 

Professor Brian Levin, Director for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino, said any way you slice it, the the latest data is not good news. 

"Our studies showed that hate crimes in LA the first half of the year were flat. Our friends at USC showed a bit more. Some of that is due to the preliminary nature of the data," the professor said.

Still, Levinson said even with the slight discrepancies, hate crimes are, in fact, on an upward trend.

"Either way, in 2021, LAPD had the highest number of hate crimes in 2001," Levinson said. 

So, then the question that many are asking is why and what are the potential factors. 

"I think we're seeing this because of a couple of things. When hate crimes get elevated, they stay higher for longer. So, there's a longer half life," Professor Levinson said. "I think that's due to the socio-political discourse and the stickiness of online infective, online hate." 

The professor pointed to the protests over George Floyd's murder at the hands of a Minneapolis Police officer as an example of what can trigger spikes in hate. 

"The use of the n-word on Twitter went up. Additionally, we also saw hate crimes go up," he said. 

Crosstown also said many hate crimes cases remain unreported, so the numbers are likely much higher.