LOS ANGELES, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Hate crimes linked to white supremacists saw a jump of 67 percent in western U.S. County of Los Angeles last year, according to a report released Thursday.
There were 482 hate crimes reported in 2016, only one less than 2015, which saw a 24 percent increase from the previous year and reached the highest total since 2011, according to the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations.
By comparison, the California Attorney General's office reported an 11.2 percent statewide increase of hate crimes in 2016.
Hate crimes in which there was evidence of white supremacist ideology grew 67 percent from 63 to 105, constituting 22 percent of all hate crimes. These were mostly acts of vandalism in which swastikas or other hate symbols were used, said the report.
The largest group of white supremacist crimes was motivated by religion (52 percent), followed by race (36 percent), and sexual orientation (3 percent).
The report also notes that the largest targeted group for hate crimes for the first time in many years were gay men, lesbians and LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender) organizations, surpassing anti-African American hate crimes. Anti-African American hate crimes declined 19 percent from 139 to 112.
"The fact that white supremacist crimes grew 67 percent is alarming, particularly in the aftermath of the 'Unite the Right' rally in Charlottesville. It seems that organized hate groups everywhere are feeling emboldened and increasingly visible," said Commission President Isabelle Gunning in a press release.
"We are extremely concerned that reported hate crimes remained at an elevated level in 2016," said Robin Toma, executive director of the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations.
"And major cities across the country, including the city of Los Angeles, have already reported increases in hate crime during the first half of 2017," he added.
Since 1980, the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations has compiled, analyzed, and produced an annual report of hate crime data submitted by sheriff and city police agencies, educational institutions, and community-based organizations.
