The FBI recently released hate crimes statistics for 2015 which found that there were more than 5,800 single-bias incidents last year – an increase of 6.5 percent over 2014.

According to the recently released Hate Crimes Statistics, 2015, law enforcement agencies submitted incident reports involving 5,850 criminal incidents and 6,885 related offenses as being motivated by bias toward race, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, and gender identity in 2015. To get experienced criminal defense lawyer check over here.

Of the 5,818 “single-bias” hate crimes committed last year, 59.2 percent were associated with race/ethnicity/ancestry. Crimes motivated by anti-Black or African American bias accounted for 52.7 percent of those crimes, with 18.2 percent stemming from anti-White bias and 9.4 percent classified as anti-Hispanic or Latino bias. Another 3.4 percent stemmed from anti-American Indian or Alaska Native bias. Anti-Asian bias accounted for 3.3 percent and anti-Arab sentiment caused 1.2 percent of the crimes.

The report documented 1,354 offenses motivated by religious bias with 51.3 percent of those crimes being committed against Jewish persons. Anti-Islamic sentiment account for 22.2 percent. Crimes against Catholics accounted for 4.4 percent of the total and 8.5 percent were against Christians of other denominations. Only two offenses (.01 percent) were committed against atheists or agnostics.

There were also 1,219 reports of hate crimes based on sexual orientation of which 62.2 percent were directed at gay men. A total of 13.8 percent were classified as anti-lesbian with 19.3 percent being prompted by a mix of LGBT bias. Just 1.9 percent were the result of anti-heterosexual bias.

There were 118 offenses committed as a result of gender-identity bias of which 75 were anti-transgender and 43 were anti-gender non-conforming.

The report also found that of the 5,493 offenders involved in these crimes, 48.4 percent were white and 24.3 percent were black or African American.

Of the 3,331 known offenders for whom ages were known, 84.7 percent were 18 years of age or older.

Law enforcement reports that in 2015, most hate crimes occurred in or near residences/homes (31.5%). Another 17.4 occurred on sidewalks, highways, roads, alleys, and streets. A surprising 8.3 percent occurred at schools/collages and 5.6 percent occurred in parking lots. A total of 4.4 percent took place in a church or place of worship.

According to Christopher Nicholas, Section Chief of the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division, the 2015 total of 5,818 single bias incidents represents a 6.5 percent increase over the 5,462 reported the year before. Multiple bias reports increased by 53 percent in 2015.

That the number of hate crimes is on the rise in a culture that prides itself on diversity suggests that we have a long way to go in learning how to practice what we preach.

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