Introduction
New York State has seen a concerning surge in reported hate crimes over the last five years, with the number of incidents increasing by 12.7 percent in 2023 alone. As the number of hate crimes has grown, these crimes are increasingly targeting people rather than property, with most attacks against Jewish, Black and Gay Male New Yorkers. Recent efforts recognize the severity of this issue, but more must be done to prevent the prejudice and biases that motivate these crimes from taking root. The fight against hate crimes requires community, faith and political leaders willing to take an active role in denouncing hate, investing in reporting, prevention and protection, and enhancing educational efforts that center on celebrating diversity as a strength.
Definition, Data and Reporting
A hate crime is an offense that is motivated by a perception or belief about the victim’s race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation or another protected characteristic. Hate crimes can be committed against a person or property, and involve offenses such as assault, battery, vandalism, arson, threats, harassment, and even homicide. The impact of hate crimes is broad and deep. It can lead to heightened fear and anxiety among targeted groups, a sense of insecurity and vulnerability, and a breakdown in trust within communities. Individuals who experience or witness hate crimes may suffer trauma, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).1 Moreover, hate crimes can perpetuate stereotypes, deepen social divisions, and erode the fabric of societal cohesion and inclusivity.2
New York State’s Hate Crimes Act of 2000 was intended “to provide clear recognition of the gravity of hate crimes and the compelling importance of preventing their recurrence” by imposing enhanced penalties and fostering better reporting and response mechanisms. The State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on crimes to help inform policy and protective measures. DCJS collects hate crime data through the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program.3 Local law enforcement agencies across the State are mandated to report hate crime incidents, including details about the type of bias, the nature of the crime, and demographic information about both victims and offenders. DCJS requires agencies to submit monthly reports, even if no incidents occurred.
Hate crime data for New York City in 2023 (and, therefore, aggregate statewide totals) were not published by DCJS due to a New York City Police Department (NYPD) transition in data reporting systems.4 For purposes of this report, New York City data for 2023 made available by the NYPD on the NYC OpenData portal are used.5 Data on the rest of the State for 2023 were published by DCJS. For all years prior to 2023, statewide data from DCJS are used.
The available data may not capture all relevant crimes. Underreporting may occur for several reasons.6 Victims, especially from marginalized or undocumented communities, may be hesitant to report incidents due to reasons that include language barriers, fear of retaliation, mistrust in law enforcement or lack of confidence that justice will be served. Law enforcement officers must have proper training to accurately identify and classify incidents as hate crimes, and incidents may not be consistently reported by law enforcement agencies. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted victims’ ability to report crimes. Reported statistics in 2020 may not reflect actual numbers of incidents, particularly in New York City, and may not be useful for year-to-year comparisons or identifying trends.
Hate Crime Incidents Are Growing
New York State has seen a surge in reported hate crimes over the last five years. In 2023, there were 1,089 hate crime incidents reported across the State, the highest number since data collection and annual reporting were mandated by the Hate Crimes Act. This is a 69 percent increase since 2019. Except for 2020 (which may reflect artificially low numbers due to COVID), there has been a steady rise in hate crimes since 2018, with the number of reported incidents more than doubling between 2018 and 2023.
A decade ago, New York City and the rest of the State reported roughly equal shares of hate crime incidents. Between 2013 and 2019, hate crime incidents in New York City increased by one-third, but declined by 25.8 percent in the rest of the State. Between 2019 and 2023, hate crime incidents grew in New York City (59.3 percent) and more rapidly in the rest of the State (87.5 percent). In 2023, New York City reported the majority (61.4 percent) of hate crime incidents.
In 2023, NYPD reported 669 hate crimes in New York City, an increase of 12.6 percent from 2022 (see Figure 1).7 In the rest of the State, DCJS reported 420 incidents in 2023, a 12.9 percent increase from the year before.
FIGURE 1 – Number of Hate Crime Incidents in New York City and Rest of State, 2013-2023
Notes: 2023 numbers reflect two different datasets: Rest of State number of incidents from DCJS using the UCR system; and NYPD incident counts for New York City using comparable data reporting, but not the UCR. In addition, the dip seen in New York City in 2020 may not reflect the actual number of incidents due to the impact of COVID-19 on victims’ ability to report and access law enforcement services.
Sources: New York City OpenData, NYPD, accessed August 19, 2024; DCJS
Analysis of Bias Types
The most common bias motivation reported in New York State in 2023 is for religion, with 543 incidents or about half. Race, ethnicity and national origin constitutes approximately one-third, and sexual orientation (LGBTQ) almost 17 percent. In 2023, there were fewer than 10 incidents involving other motivations, including gender, age and disability.
In 2023, nearly 44 percent of all recorded hate crime incidents and 88 percent of religious-based hate crimes targeted Jewish victims, the largest share of all such crimes. Nearly 17 percent of all recorded hate crime incidents and 52 percent of incidents motivated by race, ethnicity or national origin were anti-Black. And the vast majority, 71 percent, of hate crimes based on an anti-LGBTQ bias targeted Gay Male victims, almost 12 percent of all incidents. Although anti-Jewish hate crimes consistently remain the most frequently reported bias, the share of racially motivated incidents in the State is now greater than five years ago.
FIGURE 2 – Share of Hate Crimes by Bias Motivation, 2023
Notes: 2023 numbers reflect two different datasets: Rest of State number of incidents from DCJS using the UCR system; and NYPD incident counts for New York City using comparable data reporting, but not the UCR.
Sources: New York City OpenData, NYPD, accessed August 19, 2024; DCJS
During the pandemic, anti-Asian hate crimes spiked from 5 incidents in 2019 to 140 in 2021. In the last two years, the number of anti-Asian incidents has dropped by half but remains 11 times the number of incidents reported in 2019. Between 2018 and 2023, anti-Gay Male incidents rose by 141 percent (54 to 130) and hate crimes against Transgender New Yorkers have risen by 140 percent (10 to 24). Hate crimes against Jewish and Muslim New Yorkers rose by 89 and 106 percent, respectively. There were 121 more incidents against Jewish New Yorkers in 2023 compared to 2022 and 11 more incidents against Muslim New Yorkers.
FIGURE 3 – Growth in Number of Hate Crimes, 2018 and 2023
Notes: 2023 numbers reflect two different datasets: Rest of State number of incidents from DCJS using the UCR system; and NYPD incident counts for New York City using comparable data reporting, but not the UCR.
Sources: New York City OpenData, NYPD, accessed August 19, 2024; DCJS
The persistence and increase in anti-Jewish incidents have prompted targeted interventions by federal, State and local governments, such as increased security measures at religious institutions, enhanced hate crime legislation, and working closely with community leaders to foster unity and provide support to victims.8 Increases in anti-LGBTQ, anti-Black and anti-Asian incidents have also reflected national trends.9
Types of Offenses
Statewide, 2018-2022
While both hate crimes against persons and against property have risen since 2018, the number of hate crimes involving an assault against a person has been increasing more rapidly, overtaking property crimes as the predominant type beginning in 2021. In 2018, crimes against persons were 41 percent of all hate crimes; in 2022 (the latest year for which statewide data are available), they were 52 percent.
In 2022, nearly half of all hate crime reports carried an assault charge compared to 39 percent in 2018, when criminal mischief was the largest share.10 The number of hate crimes involving aggravated assault, an assault that usually causes serious bodily injury, rose from 41 incidents in 2018 to 91 incidents in 2022, an increase of 122 percent. Simple assaults, which usually involve minor injuries or the threat of minor injuries, have increased by 139 percent over this period. Criminal mischief, a type of property crime, still accounts for the greatest number of hate crime incidents but makes up a smaller share of hate crimes statewide, 45 percent in 2022 compared to 55 percent in 2018.
FIGURE 4 – Number of Hate Crimes by Offense Type, 2018 and 2022
Source: DCJS
New York City, 2023
2023 data for areas outside of New York City detailing the types of offenses underlying hate crime incidents have not yet been published by DCJS.11 Available data for New York City show nearly 58 percent of all 669 hate crime incidents in 2023 were committed against a person (rather than property); of these, 32 percent were egregious enough to be felonies, including 72 felony assaults, 47 percent of which were committed on an anti-Jewish or anti-Gay Male bias. Incidents against Jewish New Yorkers accounted for 65 percent of all felony hate crime incidents (people and property) in New York City in 2023.
The most common offense was Aggravated Harassment in the 1st degree, a felony offense that involves acts such as painting a swastika, placing a noose on someone’s property, or damaging religious premises. There were 145 incidents of this type in New York City, and all but 14 of them were committed with an anti-Jewish bias.
The two other most common offenses were misdemeanor crimes against persons: Assault in the 3rd degree (127 incidents) and Aggravated Harassment in the 2nd degree (108 incidents), both of which are classified as Simple Assault under the UCR categorization. These incidents were predominantly motivated by anti-Gay Male, anti-Jewish, anti-Asian, and anti-Black biases.
FIGURE 5 – New York City Hate Crimes, by Offense Type, 2023
Note: “Other” offenses include Murder (2), Negligent Homicide (1), Misdemeanor Sex Crimes (4), Harassment in the 2nd degree (3), Felony Possession of a Controlled Substance (1), Felony Criminal Contempt (1), Felony Menacing in the 1st degree (1), Felony Reckless Endangerment (1), Misdemeanor Resisting Arrest (1), Burglary (1), Larceny (12) and Arson (2).
Source: New York City OpenData, NYPD, accessed August 17, 2024
Government Response and Initiatives
Legislation in the Enacted Fiscal Year 2025 State Budget improved reporting mechanisms for hate crimes by the court system and expanded the list of criminal acts eligible to be prosecuted as a hate crime, which allows these charges to carry stiffer penalties than when the offense is not hate-motivated.12 The State Budget also increased State-supported grant funding to nonprofit organizations to improve security and support services for communities at risk of hate crimes.13 Federal grant funding provided through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was also substantially increased this year for enhancing security at vulnerable organizations.14
Other policy initiatives have been aimed at improving data collection and reporting. Following the surge in anti-Asian hate during the pandemic, the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act was signed into law, directing the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to provide law enforcement agencies with guidance to improve online reporting of hate crimes and remove language barriers, expedite the review of hate crimes and authorize grants to state and local governments to conduct hate crime-reduction programs.15 The Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act was passed as amendment to the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, and provides funding for states to create hate crime reporting hotlines and transition to the National Incident-Based Reporting System to track hate crime data.16
The DOJ’s Hate Crimes Enforcement and Prevention Initiative developed recommendations to improve the identification, investigation and underreporting of hate crimes that includes more comprehensive training and effective practices for law enforcement on identifying and reporting of hate crimes, and the U.S. Commission on Civils Rights issued a report in September 2023 that recommends federal mandates on data collection and reporting of crime by local law enforcement agencies.17
State policymakers launched a new hotline (844-NO-2-HATE) and online form to report hate crime incidents, and the Legislature passed a law in 2023 requiring colleges to report campus hate crimes on their website and implement a plan to better educate students about hate crime prevention.18 Policymakers should additionally explore how to implement the federal initiatives for better data collection and consider whether new legislation or funding could assist local law enforcement in implementing such measures.
The most recent statewide data show less than half of reported hate crimes resulted in an arrest, indicating that increased law enforcement efforts alone may not be sufficient to reduce these crimes.19 State and local governments are also working to take a holistic approach to prevent and respond to hate crimes through the establishment of a Hate and Bias Prevention Unit within the State’s Division of Human Rights and the New York City Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes (OPHC).20 These agencies focus on partnering with community-based organizations to develop prevention strategies, organize education, offer support and resolve conflict through grassroots efforts, reflecting the State’s commitment to combatting hate and supporting affected communities.
Education plays a pivotal role in shaping attitudes from a young age. Integrating educational programs that teach students about different cultures, religions and identities promotes tolerance and lays the foundation for a safer and more inclusive society.21 By investing in inclusive education initiatives, New York can cultivate a future generation that celebrates diversity and rejects intolerance in all its forms. Improving the mental health of our youth and fostering healthy beliefs about diverse cultures can occur both in and out of the school setting. Any trusted adult or caregiver can make a lasting positive impact on children and prevent the growing risk of youth polarization and extremist radicalization. Strategies such as learning about and recognizing warning signs, creating supportive emotional connections with at-risk youth, and teaching young people about best practices for online safety can all help to prevent hate crimes and identity-based bullying, as well as to promote social harmony.22
Conclusion
As a diverse hub of cultures, beliefs and identities, New York’s strength has always been in the creation of community bonds that transcend these characteristics and unite us as New Yorkers. The fight against hate demands that we all participate in fostering communication with, understanding of and acceptance of our neighbors.
The strategies must be multifaceted. Leadership is essential, and requires community, faith and political leaders be willing to take an active role in denouncing hate. Federal and State efforts to enhance support for law enforcement and violence prevention are also critical, as are investments in education for children and adults that teach the value of respecting differences and celebrating diversity. These efforts must be supported with robust engagement from the grassroots organizations working actively on-the-ground in communities.
By forging a united front against prejudice and intolerance, New York State can create a safer environment where all individuals can thrive without fear of discrimination or violence based on their identities.
Endnotes
1 Amy Novotney, “Hate Crimes are on the Rise in the U.S. What are the Psychological Effects?,” American Psychological Association, May 18, 2023, at https://www.apa.org/topics/gun-violence-crime/hate-crimes.
2 See e.g., P.N. Vasist, D. Chatterjee and S. Krishnan. The Polarizing Impact of Political Disinformation and Hate Speech: A Cross-country Configural Narrative. Inf Syst Front. 2023 Apr 17:1-26. doi: 10.1007/s10796-023-10390-w; Jack Levin and Jack McDevitt, Hate Crimes: The Rising Tide of Bigotry and Bloodshed, Springer, 1993, at https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-6108-2.
3 The Uniform Crime Reporting Program (UCR) is a nationwide, cooperative, statistical effort of more than 18,000 law enforcement agencies voluntarily reporting data on crimes brought to their attention. DCJS oversees the UCR program for New York State and reports crime and arrest data to the FBI (see https://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/crimnet/ojsa/stats.htm, accessed on September 5, 2023).
4 NYPD upgraded its records management system as part of its transition to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) last year. The NYPD is the best available source of citywide crime data for 2023 (https://www.nyc.gov/site/nypd/stats/crime-statistics/citywide-crime-stats.page). Any questions about the data submitted to the State during this transition should be directed to the NYPD.
5 Kaitlyn Sill and Paul Haskins, Using Research to Improve Hate Crime Reporting and Identification, September 14, 2023, National Institute of Justice, at https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/using-research-improve-hate-crime-reporting-and-identification; AAPI Data, SurveyMonkey: 2021 American Experiences with Discrimination Survey, March 1, 2021, at https://aapidata.com/surveys/2021-american-experiences-with-discrimination-survey.
6 See New York City OpenData, NYPD Hate Crimes, last updated July 23, 2024, at https://data.cityofnewyork.us/Public-Safety/NYPD-Hate-Crimes/bqiq-cu78/about_data.
7 Since NYPD only reports their hate crime counts to DCJS once per year (and those figures remain static to DCJS from that point forward), there may be small differences in NYPD hate crime counts for 2023 compared to those published by DCJS based on prior reporting; NYPD may further investigate previously reported hate crime incidents or may add additional hate crime incidents to its counts after NYPD’s once-per-year transmission of counts to DCJS. DCJS does not get retroactive updates on hate crime from NYPD.
8 See e.g., DCJS, The Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes Grant Program, at https://www.governor.ny.gov/apply-securing-communities-against-hate-crimes-grant-program, last accessed on July 23, 2024; Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, Nonprofit Security Grant Program, at https://www.dhses.ny.gov/nonprofit-programs, last accessed on July 23, 2024; Governor Kathy Hochul Press Release, “Following Recent Bomb Threats Against Houses of Worship, Governor Hochul Hosts Roundtable with Jewish Community Leaders to Spotlight $60 Million State Funding for At-Risk Groups,” May 8, 2024, at https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/following-recent-bomb-threats-against-houses-worship-governor-hochul-hosts-roundtable-jewish, last accessed July 19, 2024; Senator Chuck Schumer Press Release, “Majority Leader Schumer Delivers Major Address on Antisemitism on the Senate Floor,” November 29, 2023, at https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/majority-leader-schumer-delivers-major-address-on-antisemitism-on-the-senate-floor; The White House, The U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, May 2023, at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/U.S.-National-Strategy-to-Counter-Antisemitism.pdf; Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Hate Crimes Commission Act of 2023, S.2023, 118th Congress (2023-2024), at https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Hate-Crimes-Commission-Act-One-Pager.pdf; New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, “Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes,” at https://criminaljustice.cityofnewyork.us/programs/ophc/, last accessed on July 23, 2024.
9 See e.g., The Marshall Project, New FBI Data Shows More Hate Crimes. These Groups Saw the Sharpest Rise, March 25, 2023, at https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/03/25/asian-hate-crime-fbi-black-lgbtq.
10 The UCR crime category of criminal mischief encompasses a range of unlawful behaviors that involve damaging or tampering with property belonging to others, often including acts of trespass and/or vandalism, such as graffiti, breaking windows, damaging vehicles or buildings, or tampering with property in a way that disrupts its normal use or function.
11 These metrics are published by DCJS in its annual Hate Crime Report which has not yet been published for 2023. Although DCJS has separately published other limited 2023 hate crime data for areas outside of New York City, its annual Hate Crime report will not be published until the data issues surrounding NYPD’s transition to NIBRS have been fully resolved.
12 The expanded list includes crimes such as falsely reporting an incident, additional sex crimes, among others. See Laws of 2024, chapter 55, Part C (SFY 2025 Public Protection and General Government Art. VII Budget Bill).
13 The SFY 2025 Enacted State Budget provided $35 million, an increase of $10 million from SFY 2024, to support the Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes grant program (see “Governor Hochul Announces $10 Million Grant Funding to Support Efforts to Reduce Domestic Terrorism and Targeted Violence,” May 21, 2024 at https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-10-million-grant-funding-support-efforts-reduce-domestic-terrorism, last accessed on July 19, 2024).
14 FEMA, FY 2024 Nonprofit Security Grant Program Fact Sheet, April 16, 2024, at https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/nonprofit-security/fy-24-fact-sheet; Associated Press, “$400 Million Boost in Federal Funds for Security at Places of Worship,” May 5, 2024, at https://apnews.com/article/synagogue-security-federal-funds-worship-c687e3e7c15842fc51103479235cbf45.
15 COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, S.937, 117th Cong. (2021-2022), at https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/937/text.
16 Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act, S.Amdt.1445 to S.937, 117th Cong. (2021-2022), at https://www.congress.gov/amendment/117th-congress/senate-amendment/1445/text; DOJ, Hate Crimes, Laws and Policies, at https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/laws-and-policies (last accessed on July 30, 2024).
17 DOJ, Law Enforcement Roundtable Report on Hate Crimes, August 2020, at https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/spotlight/law-enforcement-roundtable-report; U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, The Federal Response to Anti-Asian Racism in the United States, September 2023, at https://www.usccr.gov/files/2023-10/fy-2023-se-report.pdf.
18 N.Y. Laws of 2023, chapter 191.
19 Statewide data for 2022 show 44 percent of hate crime incidents resulted in an arrest. Available data for New York City show slightly more than half (56 percent) resulted in an arrest in 2023.
20 New York State Division of Human Rights, “Hate and Bias Prevention Unit,” at https://dhr.ny.gov/nohate, last accessed on July 19, 2024; New York City Office for the Prevention of Hate Crime, “Resources,” at https://www.nyc.gov/site/stophate/resources/resources.page, last accessed on July 19, 2024; see also U.S. DOJ, United Against Hate Community Outreach and Engagement Program, 2022-2023, at https://www.justice.gov/d9/2024-01/uah_program_milestones_508_12.28.23_english.pdf.
21 See e.g., United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Sustainable Development, November 2023 at https://www.unesco.org/en/global-citizenship-peace-education/recommendation?hub=745; Dan Mamlok, The Quest to Cultivate Tolerance Through Education, Stud Philos Educ 42, 231–246 (2023), https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-023-09874-8; Anti-Defamation League, Education Resources, “Words that Can Hurt, Help and Heal,” at https://www.adl.org/resources/lesson-plan/words-can-hurt-help-and-heal, last accessed on July 19, 2024.
22 Southern Poverty Law Center, Building Networks & Addressing Harm: A Community Guide to Online Youth Radicalization, at https://www.splcenter.org/sites/default/files/splc-peril-addressing-harm-community-guide.pdf, last accessed on July 19, 2024.