Gov. Wolf warns of rise in hate crimes during Holocaust commemoration
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Gov. Tom Wolf joined the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition and other leaders on Wednesday for the 38th Annual Civic Commemoration of the Holocaust.
The ceremony recognizes survivors and their families.
The governor said there's no place for hate in Pennsylvania.
"Everyone of us shares a responsibility to guard against hate, to speak out against discrimination and take action to end violence," Gov. Wolf said. "The actions of ordinary people created an atrocity and it's only through the actions of ordinary people that we can prevent future atrocities."
Hate crimes have increased exponentially in Pennsylvania over the past two years, according to data from state police.
Last year, there were 219 crimes reported in the state, which is nearly double from 2020.
Other states are seeing the same kind of increases and the U.S. Department of Justice estimated that nearly two-thirds of hate crimes are never reported.
To combat the rise in these types of crimes, Gov. Wolf's office said he has instructed state police and members of his administration to join efforts by the state Human Relations Commission and the Anti-Defamation League to track and reduce incidents.