What you should know
- New York City has seen a staggering rise in hate crimes compared to 2020, according to the NYPD team tracking the numbers.
- Hate crimes in the five boroughs increased 100% in 2021 compared to the previous year, with 503 counted so far. That compares with just 22 in 2020.
- It is a worrying increase that has been driven primarily by anti-Asian and anti-Semitic crimes.
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NEW YORK – New York City has seen a staggering rise in hate crimes compared to 2020, according to the NYPD team tracking the numbers. It is a worrying increase that has been driven primarily by anti-Asian and anti-Semitic crimes.
Hate crimes in the five boroughs increased 100% in 2021 compared to the previous year, with 503 counted so far. That compares with just 22 in 2020.
“We publish these statistics, they can often alarm the public, nothing is more important to us than these cases, that is why they have higher penalties. Because it is not just about one person, it is intended to attack an entire group or class”, said NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea.
Crimes deemed anti-Asian or anti-Semitic make up the bulk of the numbers, with anti-Asian crime increasing by 361%. There have been 129 anti-Asian crimes, according to the NYPD, and 183 anti-Semitic crimes.
A hate crimes review panel was created in early 2021 after an alarming number of attacks against the Asian community took place, fueled by misinformation from COVID-19. The panel, which meets once a month, also reviewed incidents against gays, Muslims and the African-American community.
New York Police Chief James Essig, who heads the task force, said what investigators have learned regarding bias incidents has helped them become better equipped to combat hate.
The task force is still searching for suspects in four recent cases, including one in which a man on a bicycle threw anti-Asian insults at a woman in Manhattan. Three women or girls are also wanted for beating and shoving three Jewish children in separate attacks in Brooklyn, where one of the victims is just 3 years old.
“It is a pattern of hate crimes and particularly disturbing because of the age of the victims,” Essig said.
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