New York, NY, December 12, 2022… ADL NY/NJ (the Anti-Defamation League) today expressed serious concern and called on law enforcement agencies to urgently commit to hate crime data collection and reporting in the wake of newly released FBI hate crime data for 2021, which did not include huge swaths of data from some of the largest jurisdictions in the country.
“We are deeply concerned about the FBI hate crime data released for 2021 earlier today,” said ADL New York/New Jersey Regional Director Scott Richman. “The report shows an astounding number of agencies in both New York and New Jersey that did not participate in hate crime reporting this year, impacting not only the hate crime data reported at a national level, but entirely erasing the lived experiences of so many communities disproportionately targeted by hate crimes in our region.”
According to data available in the downloadable hate crime report, only 124 jurisdictions in New York appear to have participated in FBI hate crime reporting for 2021 (a substantial decrease from the 559 agencies that participated in 2020), reporting a mere 61 hate crimes in total. By way of comparison, New York reported 463 hate crimes in 2020, 270 (58%) of which were in New York City alone, and 179 (39%) of which were anti-Jewish hate crimes. In New Jersey, only 177 jurisdictions participated in hate crime reporting for 2021 (a substantial decrease from the 534 agencies that participated in 2020), reporting a mere 214 hate crimes across the State. By way of comparison, New Jersey reported 389 hate crimes in 2020.
At a time when our communities are feeling increasingly vulnerable to hate crimes and extremist-fueled attacks, it is unacceptable that for both New York and New Jersey, comprehensive hate crime data was not included in the 2021 FBI report.
While we unfortunately cannot rely on the FBI hate crime data to understand the reality of hate crimes in our region, there is critical data at the state and local level that substantiates the gravity of the threat. In New York City, according to data released on the NYPD website, there were 524 hate crime complaints and 219 hate crime arrests in 2021. Of the 524 hate crime complaints, 198, or 38%, were recorded as anti-Jewish hate crime complaints. These figures represent a 98% increase in hate crime complaints, and a 71% increase in anti-Jewish hate crime complaints, relative to data reported for 2020.
In New Jersey, according to a preliminary report by the Attorney General, 1,871 bias incidents were reported to law enforcement agencies throughout New Jersey in 2021, representing the highest annual number of bias incidents reported since the state began tracking them in 1994, and a 29% increase from the 1,447 bias incidents reported for 2020. Of the 1,871 incidents reported in 2021, anti-Jewish bias was cited as a motivation for 347 of them, up from 298 in 2020.
We urge Congress to make it mandatory for state and local law enforcement agencies that receive federal funding to participate in the FBI’s hate crime data collection efforts, and we reiterate our call to law enforcement agencies to urgently commit to hate crime data collection and reporting. Hate crimes target and terrorize not only the individual but entire communities. Collecting accurate data is essential to being able to accurately assess the problem and allocate the necessary resources to combat it.
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ADL is the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Founded in 1913, its timeless mission is “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of antisemitism and bias, using innovation and partnerships to drive impact. A global leader in combating antisemitism, countering extremism and battling bigotry wherever and whenever it happens, ADL works to protect democracy and ensure a just and inclusive society for all. More at www.adl.org.