Reported hate crimes in New York state have surged a record-breaking 69% since 2019, driven in large part by violent anti-Semitism, according to a damning analysis released Wednesday by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.
According to the report, hate crimes against Jewish people increased by 89% statewide, from 253 in 2018 to a whopping 477 in 2023. Meanwhile, anti-Muslim incidents jumped 106%, from 18 to 37.
Last year, about 44 percent of all hate crime incidents recorded statewide and 88 percent of religion-based hate crimes targeted Jewish victims during the violent war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the largest proportion of all such crimes.
“The data compiled by the Comptroller's Office reaffirms what New York's Jewish community unfortunately experiences all too often within our community,” said Mark Treyger, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council.
He added that the report was “very serious and sobering.”
The report said the total number of hate incidents reported last year, 1,089, was the highest on record since annual reporting became mandatory in 2000.
According to New York City data, about 58% of the 669 hate crime incidents that occurred in 2023 were committed against people, not property.
The analysis found that one-third of the cases were serious enough to constitute felonies, including 72 felony assaults against Jewish or gay men, nearly half of which were serious enough to constitute felonies.
DiNapoli said that of all hate crime incidents in New York in 2023, incidents against Jewish people accounted for a staggering 65 percent.
The most common offense was first-degree aggravated harassment, a felony that can include acts such as drawing a swastika, putting a noose on someone else's property, or damaging religious facilities.
“New York City recorded 145 such incidents, all but 14 of which were committed with anti-Semitic bias,” the inspector general's report said.
State Senate Education Committee Chair Shelley Mayer “We need a stronger education effort to combat hate,” said Rep. (D-White Plains).
Approximately 17% of all recorded hate crime incidents and 52% of racially motivated hate crimes targeted black residents.
The number of bias-related crimes against Black victims doubled from 91 in 2018 to 183 in 2023.
Anti-gay hate crimes accounted for 12 percent of all incidents, the data showed.
Over the past five years, incidents against gay men have increased by 141% (from 54 to 130), while hate crimes against transgender people in New York have increased from 10 to 24.
According to the data, during the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-Asian hate crimes have skyrocketed from five in 2019 to 140 in 2021. While the number of incidents against Asians has decreased over the past two years, the number of incidents reported in 2021 is still 11 times higher than the number reported in 2019.
The increase in hate crimes in 2023 was roughly the same in the city and the rest of the state, with a 12.6% increase within the city and a 12.9% increase outside the city.
However, since 2019, the increase in reported hate crimes outside New York City has been higher, at 87.5%, than New York City's 59.3%.
DiNapoli's office did not explain the difference, but said the report contains more detailed information about the types of hate crimes in the city in 2023 than the rest of the state.
“New York is a hub of diverse cultures, beliefs and identities, and its strength has always been in creating the bonds of community that bind us together,” DiNapoli said.
“Combating hate and bigotry requires communication, respect and inclusion with our neighbors,” he added. “We need religious, political, community and business leaders to play an active role in condemning hate, investing in prevention and protection efforts, and increasing education that celebrates the value of New York's diversity.”
