Crime

State Releases New Hate Crime Report, AG Becerra Condemns Acts

Published

7 years ago

July 7, 2017

Attorney General Xavier Becerra has released the 2016 edition of the California Department of Justice (DOJ) Hate Crime in California report.

The report’s findings:

Over the last 10 years, the total number of hate crime events has decreased 34.7 percent from 1,426 in 2007 to 931 in 2016.
Hate crime events increased 11.2 percent from 837 in 2015 to 931 in 2016.
Hate crime events involving a racial basis increased 21.3 percent, from 428 in 2015 to 519 in 2016.
Hate crime events with a race/ethnicity/national origin bias are consistently the most common type of hate crime over the past 10 years (2007-2016). Hate crimes with a sexual orientation bias are the second most common type of hate crime over the same period.
Hate crimes with an anti-Black or African American bias motivation continue to be the most common hate crime, accounting for 31.3 percent (3,262) of all hate crime events since 2007.
Hate crimes with a sexual orientation bias are the second most common type of hate crime over the last 10 years, accounting for 22.2 percent of hate crimes report in 2016.
Hate crimes with an anti-gay (male) bias increased 40.7 percent from 108 in 2015 to 152 is 2016.
Hate crimes with an anti-Jewish motivation continue to be the most common within the religion bias category, accounting for 11.1 percent (1,158) of all hate events reported since 2007.

Xavier Becerra

The increase in hate crimes in California comes at a time when the nation is confronting an unsettling increase in hate crimes. The latest reports from the Federal Bureau of Investigation demonstrate an increase in the number of hate crimes nationwide, including crimes motivated by biases towards racial and ethnic minorities, Muslims, persons with disabilities, women, immigrants, and the LGBT community. Last week, it was reported that from 2011-2015, more than half of violent hate crime victimizations were not reported to police.

“When someone commits a crime motivated by hate, it is not just an attack on one innocent person, but an attack on the entire State and our communities,” said Becerra.

“We can see from (this) report that words matter, and discriminatory rhetoric does not make us stronger but divides us and puts the safety of our communities at risk. This is why condemning hate crimes, discrimination, and racism is critical to ensuring all Californians live without fear of being targeted because of their race, ethnicity, religion, disability, gender or sexual orientation,” he said.

A copy of the report can be found online at https://openjustice.doj.ca.gov/resources/publications

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

6 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

1 week ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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California Black Media

Anti-Theft Bill with Jail-Time Requirement Gets Wide Ranging Support

Fed up with the alarming frequency of retail theft across California, including smash and grabs, a diverse group of business leaders, law enforcement officials, policymakers and public safety advocates joined their efforts in Sacramento on Jan. 24. Their purpose: to increase public support for Assembly Bill (AB) 1772, a bill that would make jail time mandatory for repeat theft offenders.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

San Bernardino Police Chief Darren Goodman speaks as Asm. James Ramos (D-San Bernardino), left, stands beside him at a news conference in Sacramento concerning retail theft across the state.

By California Black Media

Fed up with the alarming frequency of retail theft across California, including smash and grabs, a diverse group of business leaders, law enforcement officials, policymakers and public safety advocates joined their efforts in Sacramento on Jan. 24.

Their purpose: to increase public support for Assembly Bill (AB) 1772, a bill that would make jail time mandatory for repeat theft offenders.

Co-authored by Assemblymembers James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino), Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim) and Devon Mathis (R-Tulare), AB 1772 would require jail time “of one to three years for theft crimes depending upon the circumstances.

“Offenses would include grand theft, theft from an elder or dependent adult, theft or unauthorized use of a vehicle, burglary, carjacking, robbery, receiving stolen property, shoplifting or mail theft,” the bill language reads.

Ramos said the need to act is urgent.

“It’s time for us to reverse the spikes in theft crimes since the pandemic. Our law enforcement members and district attorneys need additional tools such as AB 1772. We must reverse the trend before the problem grows worse. Last year I requested a state audit of the impact of Prop 47 on Riverside and San Bernardino counties,” said Ramos.

Prop 47 is the California initiative, approved by voters in 2014, that reclassified some felonies to misdemeanors and raised the minimum amount for most misdemeanor thefts from $400 to $950.

According to a Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) report, the rate of occurrence of petty crimes like shoplifting and commercial burglaries have increased by double digits over the last four years.

In Orange County alone, commercial burglaries have spiked by 54%.

“Our communities are experiencing an increase in retail crime and deserve appropriate action from their legislators,” Valencia said.

San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus thanked Ramos.

“This bill, designed to impose stricter penalties on serial retail theft suspects, responds urgently to the escalating consequences of shoplifting and related crimes on our communities,” he said.

AB 1772 supporters who spoke at the gathering included Sacramento Sheriff Jim Cooper and San Bernardino Chief of Police Darren Goodman. Listed as supporters are the California State Sheriff’s Association, City of Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez and Redlands Chamber of Commerce.