Hate crimes on the rise in NYC, up 12.6% in 2023: report

NEW YORK CITY – The NYPD recorded 669 hate crimes in New York City in 2023, a 12.6% increase over 2022, according to a new report from the office of New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.

According to the report, anti-Jewish incidents accounted for 65% of all hate crimes in the city in 2023.

The city recorded the majority of hate crimes in New York State, at 61.4%. This represents a change from previous years, when the city and state recorded roughly equal numbers of cases.

Crimes are increasingly directed against people rather than property, “with most attacks targeting Jewish, black and gay male New Yorkers,” the report says.

Nationwide, anti-Asian crimes have declined after a sharp increase during the pandemic: there were 57 incidents in 2023, compared to 140 in 2021.

Compared to 2018, five years ago, the number of incidents against Muslim and transgender New Yorkers nationwide has more than doubled, from 18 to 37 and from 10 to 24, respectively.

The report defines hate crimes as motivated by “a perception or belief regarding the victim’s race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation or other protected characteristic.”

They can be directed against people or property and include crimes such as threats, harassment, vandalism, assault, arson and even manslaughter.

The FBI typically releases an annual report in the fall that includes data on crime statistics across the United States, as well as a special section on hate crimes.

Currently, 2022 is the most recent year for which data is available.

According to the FBI, over 11,634 hate crimes were reported in 2022, compared to 10,840 in 2021. The majority of hate crimes in 2022 were directed against Black Americans.

The FBI data is available here.