California’s attorney general says reported hate crimes jumped more than 17 percent in the state last year, though they remain relatively rare.
The Department of Justice defines hate crimes as those targeting victims because of their race or ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, gender, or a disability. Nearly 1,100 were reported in 2017 compared to 900 in 2016.
In San Luis Obispo County, 9 hate crimes were reported in 2017. There were 3 reported in 2016 and 4 in 2015.
In Santa Barbara County, 7 hate crimes were reported in 2017 compared to 2 in 2016 and 2 in 2015.
The report was one of five crime reports the DOJ released Monday.
The DOJ also reported that police killed 172 civilians last year compared to 157 in 2016. Another report showed California’s violent crime rate increased 1.5 percent last year compared to 2016 while property crime dropped 2 percent.
