SAN DIEGO – In just one year, from 2022 to 2023, the number of reported hate crimes in San Diego skyrocketed by 39%, according to government data detailed in a recent report.
The San Diego Association of Governments’ recent report documents crime statistics in San Diego County from 2021 to 2023. While the SANDAG report shows that crime rates continue to decline in the San Diego area, hate crimes are on the rise.
In California, a hate crime is a criminal act motivated by the characteristics of the victim, which could include the person’s actual or perceived race or ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, or physical or mental disability.
This report comes as police continue to investigate two series of pellet gun attacks in the Hillcrest community, with the most recent cases being investigated as hate crimes. An arrest was made in connection with some of these crimes last week.
According to the report, police reported 133 hate crimes in the San Diego area in 2023, up from 93 in 2022 and 81 two years ago.
In 2023, 65% of cases were committed against people and 35% against property.
Most of the crimes (44%) were motivated by race, ethnicity or country of origin. Of these cases, more than half were described as against blacks, 12% against Hispanics, 5% against Asians, 5% against whites and 3% against Arabs. Another 17% were against other races or ethnicities.
Crimes motivated by sexual orientation followed, accounting for 31% of incidents, the report said. About a quarter of the complaints were motivated by religion.
Kim Fountain, deputy CEO of the San Diego LGBT Community Center, said her community has been extra vigilant.
“It’s really a big concern for us, especially in Hillcrest, where we see the attacks in our community, which had the pellet gun attacks, for example,” Fountain said.
A 19-year-old man was charged in the Sept. 7 attacks in Hillcrest and was arraigned Friday. He faces six counts of assault, each with hate crime allegations.
“I want this to be over. I don’t want this to be the community I live in,” Fountain said.
California law defines hate crimes as those motivated by the victim’s race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, or physical or mental disability.
The pellet gun attacks also prompted San Diego police to increase patrols in Hillcrest.
Resident Dylan Vonderlinden says he has noticed the presence of law enforcement in his neighborhood.
“I see police cars patrolling, police officers stationed outside bars in the area,” Vonderlinden said.
He lives in Hillcrest and is a member of the LGBT community.
Although she has had a positive experience since moving there, she said hearing about the new numbers in the SANDAG report raises safety concerns.
“It evokes fear, but I prefer to use that fear to motivate me to help my neighborhood and where I live,” Vonderlinden said.
Lakshmi Kirkire also recently moved to Hillcrest. She was shocked to learn that hate crimes motivated by race, sex and religion are on the rise in the area.
“It’s disappointing,” Kirkire said.
But the source said the data will also help his community identify ways to make everyone feel safe.
“We all want our communities to thrive,” Fountain said.
Although there has been an uptick in hate crimes, the report also notes that overall crime in San Diego is on the decline.
