Hate Crimes Involving Religion Drop Nearly 28 Percent In California, Race Down 10 Percent
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - The state attorney general's office says the number of hate crimes reported in California declined about 12 percent last year and has dropped by more than a third over the last decade.
The report released Wednesday says 930 such crimes were reported in 2012, down from 1,060 in 2011 and 1,491 in 2003.
Hate crimes based on the victim's race, ethnicity or national origin dropped 10 percent last year while making up more than half of complaints. Crimes targeting a victim's sexual orientation fell nearly 4 percent.
Those involving a victim's religion dropped nearly 28 percent.
The report comes as officials are investigating four white students accused of harassing a black student at San Jose State University. They face misdemeanor hate-crime and battery charges alleging they taunted their freshman dorm-mate.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
