FBI Releases 2004 Hate Crime Statistics
Feature Story by Tyler Lewis - 12/7/2005
FBI statistics released in October document an increase in hate crimes in 2004 over those reported in 2003.The FBI defines hate crimes as acts of violence motivated by race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity/national origin. According to the FBI's "Hate Crime Statistics, 2004", 7,649 hate crime incidents were reported by 12,711 police agencies across the country - up from 7,489 reported by 11,909 agencies in 2003.
"The report serves as a wake-up call that hate crime remains a national problem in America," said Barbara B. Bailser, ADL National Chairman and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "Hate violence in America requires priority attention by law enforcement officials, policymakers and educators."
Racial bias accounts for the majority of hate crimes (52.9 percent), followed by religious bias (18 percent), sexual orientation bias (15.7 percent) and ethnicity/national origin bias (12.7 percent), according to the FBI report.
The ADL called for increased effort by law enforcement, policymakers and educators to combat hate crimes, citing more than 4,000 law enforcement agencies who did not participate in the FBI's efforts as an issue that needed to be addressed.
Of the 12,711 reporting law enforcement agencies who participated in the data collection effort, only 16.1 percent reported even a single hate crime. "Congress must act to permit federal authorities to provide the full range of assistance to local officials prosecuting hate crimes and, when appropriate, to investigate and prosecute hate crimes in those circumstances where state and local officials cannot or will not act themselves," said Bailser and Foxman.
The report comes as the Senate Judiciary Committee prepares to consider hate crime legislation that will expand the definition of federal hate crimes to include violent acts against gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals. Currently, 45 states and the District of Columbia have hate crime laws on the books.
The House of Representatives passed legislation in September that includes transgender individuals in the definition of federal hate crimes. In a statement marking Transgender Day of Remembrance, Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese said that the House bill "is the bill that should go to the president's desk for signing. This is the law that should protect the American people."
