Hate crimes against Black people have increased significantly in 2020 by 31 percent in California.
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The report was released by the state’s attorney general on Wednesday which revealed all hate crimes increased from 1,015 to 1,330 as the number of victims went from 1,247 to 1,536. In California, Black people make up 6.5% of the state population and they were 30 percent of the victims in hate crimes at a number of 456.
Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement that the increase in hate crimes happened “in the midst of a racial justice reckoning in this country. It’s multi-faceted and it cannot be solved overnight.”
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Bonta added that there was a huge surge of anti-Asian hate crimes in the state and referenced former President Donald Trump for being the motivating factor of these hate crimes.
“There was a surge in anti-Asian violence correlated with the words of leaders who sought to divide us when we were at our most vulnerable,”
He also introduced a new law enforcement crime bulletin that will guide prosecutors and local law enforcement to identify and investigate hate crimes and provide efficient communication within the community. Additionally, it promotes different alternative methods of sentencing and restorative justice.
SOURCE: FOX Lexington