Though the overall number of hate crimes reported in California in 2010 remained constant when compared to 2009, the number of crimes against Hispanics increased nearly 50 percent, according to the Attorney General's office.
In 2010, 119 anti-Hispanic hate crimes were reported in the state, up from 81 in 2009, according to a news release from the office of Kamala Harris.
A total of 1,107 hate crimes were reported in 2010, compared to 1,100 in 2009, the release states.
Despite the spike in anti-Hispanic hate crimes reported, those against Jewish, black and gay victims dropped from 2009 levels, according to Harris' office.
Data compiled by the Attorney General's staff from the state's 58 counties also showed that 361 hate crime cases were referred for prosecution in 2010, down from 479 the year prior. Of the 166 hate crime cases that reached disposition by the end of 2010, 70 of them resulted in hate crime convictions and 81 resulted in other convictions, the release states.
The state's Department of Justice started the hate crime reporting system in 1994, requiring that law enforcement agencies submit to the DOJ copies of initial crime reports in which two officers from the reporting agency believe a hate crime has occurred.
To read the Attorney General's full hate crime report for 2010 or previous years, visit http://ag.ca.gov/cjsc/publications/hatecrimes/pub.php.
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