Hate Crimes in L.A. County Hold at Historic Levels Despite Slight Decline From Previous Year, Report Finds

Hate crimes in Los Angeles County remained near historic highs in 2024, with 1,355 reported victims, according to new data released by the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations.

The total represents a 1% decrease from 2023 but continues a multiyear trend of elevated incidents.

"To get a sense of the magnitude, that total represents an average of nearly four hate crimes each day," said Robin Toma, the commission's executive director, as The Miami Herald reports. He said ongoing high levels can be partly attributed to improved reporting through law enforcement and partners including LA vs Hate and 211LA.

Anti-Black hate crimes accounted for 51% of cases, rising from 325 to 345 victims. The report noted the continued over-representation of Black residents in racially motivated crimes. One example described a Black woman in Long Beach who said she was targeted with slurs and threatened with a weapon "about 8 times."

Crimes involving Middle Eastern victims increased sevenfold, the largest rise among racial groups. The commission reported that nearly half of incidents referencing the conflict in the Middle East occurred in schools.

Hate crimes against Latino victims increased to 71 cases. Professor emeritus Brian Levin, founder of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, said "socially scapegoated groups" bear the brunt of violence and linked trends in part to rhetoric targeting immigrant communities.

Sheriff Robert Luna said his agency will not question immigration status when individuals report incidents. "We are in some challenging times," he said.

Nearly all hate crimes against transgender people involved violence, rising 3% from last year. Crimes targeting nonbinary victims also increased, though reported incidents involving the broader LGBTQ+ community declined slightly.

Anti-Jewish incidents made up 80% of reported religious hate crimes but fell from 244 to 202. Anti-Muslim crimes rose from 19 to 21, and Scientologists were identified as victims in 16 cases.

"These findings should be alarming, reflecting the persistence of high levels of hate with our concern that it will continue to grow given the political climate," Toma said.

Nationally, reported hate crimes also remain elevated, as reported by the FBI in early August. The agency recorded 11,679 cases in 2024 — the second-highest total since federal tracking began — with Black Americans the most targeted group, according to a recent federal release.