The most recent report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation said hate crimes increased for the third straight year by nearly 17% during 2017, according to CNN.
The FBI's report was released on Tuesday and warned how crimes spurred by antisemitism were leading the increase, even though violent crime in America was decreasing.
There were more than 7,100 hate crimes reported across the U.S. last year, including attacks which were based on racial bias, religious bias, and a victim's sexual orientation or gender identity.
The FBI also said there was an increase of nearly 23% in religion-based hate crimes, with a 37% increase in anti-Jewish hate crimes.
The FBI said even though the number of attacks increased, that went along with an increase in the number of law enforcement agencies which were reporting hate crime data.
The report was compiled from its uniform crime reporting (UCR) program which was submitted from 16,149 law enforcement agencies in 2017, an increase from last year's number of 15,254 agencies.
The agencies include not only information about the crimes, but also about the specific offenses, victims, offenders, and locations of hate crimes.
The FBI said there were 7,106 single-bias incidents involving 8,492 victims.
A 60% majority of those victims were targeted due to the offender's racist or xenophobic bias, with another fifth targeted due to their religious bias.
Nearly 16% were victimized due to the offenders' sexual-orientation bias, and just under 2% of victims included in the report were targeted due to a disability or bias against their gender identity.
The hate crimes included harassment, murder, assault, robbery, rape, and vandalism.
Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker said the report was a "call to action" and the Justice Department "will heed that call."
"The Department of Justice's top priority is to reduce violent crime in America, and hate crimes are violent crimes," the statement read.
"I am particularly troubled by the increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes -- which were already the most common religious hate crimes in the United States -- that is well documented in this report. The American people can be assured that this Department has already taken significant and aggressive actions against these crimes and that we will vigorously and effectively defend their rights," the statement read.
-WN.com, Maureen Foody
Photo:
AP / Steve Helber
