Reported Hate Crimes up Nearly 70% Since 2019 in New York State

The New York State Comptroller’s Office says hate crimes throughout the State of New York have seen a surge over the last five years with 1,089 incidents being reported in 2023 alone. Last year marked the highest number of reported hate crimes since data collection and annual reporting were mandated back in 2000 from the NY Hate Crime Act.

A report by the Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli shows reported hate crimes have increased by 69% since 2019. A hate crime is an offense which is motivated either by a perception or belief about a victim’s race, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation or another protected characteristic the Comptroller’s Office says.

“New York is a diverse hub of cultures, beliefs and identities, whose strength has always been in the creation of community bonds that unite us,” DiNapoli said. “Fighting hatred and bigotry demands that we communicate with, respect and accept our neighbors. It requires our spiritual, political, community and business leaders to take active roles in denouncing hate, investing in prevention and protection efforts, and increasing education that celebrates the value of New York’s diversity.”

The past five years have shown an increase in hate crimes with the overall number of reported incidents doubling from 2018 and 2023. The Comptroller’s Office does note these numbers may not reflect the actuality as some victims may be hesitant on reporting incidents due to reasons that can include language barriers, fear of retaliation, and a mistrust in law enforcement.

“Hate crimes targeting individuals and property both rose since 2018, but hate crimes involving assaults on people grew faster and were more common than property crimes starting in 2021. In 2018, crimes against persons were 41% of all hate crimes; in 2022 they rose to 52%. In that year, nearly half of all hate crime reports carried an assault charge compared to 39% in 2018.”

The Comptroller’s Office said in a release.

Initiatives continue both on a state and federal level on addressing the increase of hate crimes with key policy areas including education, mental health services, and online safety.