Despite an overall decrease in the number of hate crimes reported in California, bias-motivated attacks against Muslims, Jews, and the LGBTQ community are on the rise in California, according to the 2023 Annual Hate Crimes report released by Attorney General Rob Bonta.
In 2023, a total of 1,970 hate crimes were reported by law enforcement agencies in California, a drop from 2022, in which 2,120 bias attacks were reported. In 2021, 2,180 hate crimes were reported throughout the state.
Hate crimes based on sexual orientation continued to rise, with 405 overall, a spike from 391 in 2022. Jewish people were the most frequent targets of religiously-motivated hate crimes in California: 289 attacks were reported in 2023, exactly 100 more than the previous year. Hate crimes targeting Muslims also rose from 25 in 2022 to 40 last year.
Few convictions
Consistent with previous years, Black people were overwhelmingly the most frequent victims of hate attacks: 518 in 2023, a significant drop from 652 in 2022.
679 hate crime cases were sent to prosecutors in 2023, a small rise from previous years. 224 cases were rejected, and 322 were filed with hate crime charges. Of those, 15 were not convicted, 43 were convicted on other charges, and 57 pleaded guilty/no lo contendre.
Only 5 hate crimes cases went to trial last year. In 2022, 6 bias-motivated cases went to trial in California, and in 2021, just one case went to trial, out of the 610 cases referred to prosecutors.
Hate crimes hard to prove
Speaking to Ethnic Media Services last April on the sidelines of the United Against Hate summit at Fresno City College, Bonta noted that hate crimes are notoriously difficult to prosecute. “They require a proof of intent. By design, a hate crime must originate with the hate element, which is often difficult to establish,” he said.
“Hate crimes are an augmentation of sentencing: it is seen as something additional. You’re already charging assault or battery,” said Bonta, noting that a successful hate crime conviction might add just 2 to 5 years to a sentence.
“The California Department of Justice has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to hate, and will continue working with law enforcement, elected leaders, and community organizations across the state to keep our communities safe through education, prevention, and enforcement,” said Bonta on the release of the hate crimes report.
Islamophobia and anti-semitism
The Council on American Islamic Relations said July 2 that it welcomed the release of the new data. “This report underscores the critical need to address the persistent and growing issue of hate crimes targeting Muslim, Palestinian, and Arab communities,” said CAIR San Francisco Bay Area Managing Attorney Brittney Rezaei.
“Despite an overall decrease in hate crimes, the alarming rise in anti-Muslim bias incidents, which have increased by 60%, is a stark reminder of the pervasive impact of Islamophobic rhetoric and actions that have intensified since Oct. 7, further endangering and marginalizing these vulnerable communities,” she said.
In April, the Anti-Defamation League released a report noting an alarming spike in hate crimes in Los Angeles. ADL found that in 2023, the Jewish community in Los Angeles experienced 503 recorded incidents — up 112 percent from 237 incidents in 2022 — including 326 incidents of harassment — up 120 percent from 143 in 2022 — and 159 incidents of vandalism of businesses, places of worship and schools, up 85 percent from 86 in 2022. (Sunita Sohrabji/Ethnic Media Services)
