Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Hate Crime Data topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
State staff present preliminary FBI data showing continued high levels of hate crime, spikes in anti‑Latino and anti‑trans reports
Summary
CRD staff told the commission that preliminary 2025 FBI data show an overall decline from recent record years but remain historically elevated; analysts flagged record increases in anti‑Latino reports and rising anti‑transgender incidents while noting reporting gaps and jurisdictional differences.
State staff delivered a preliminary national and California hate‑crime briefing based on FBI data and internal local reporting, cautioning that figures are preliminary and subject to later revision. The staff summary said that although reported hate crimes declined modestly in 2025 from recent record years, levels remain substantially above earlier baselines: a staff slide noted an approximately 88% increase in reported hate crimes nationally when comparing 2025 to 2015 by some measures.
Key provisional findings staff highlighted included: spikes in anti‑Latino hate‑crime reports (nationally and in California), an increase in anti‑transgender incidents, and continued high counts of aggravated assaults and other violent offenses in some categories. Staff also noted that nearly half of reported incidents in 2025 were concentrated in three victim groups (anti‑Black, anti‑Jewish and anti‑Latino) and cautioned that many groups lack consistent national reporting infrastructure, which can undercount incidents.
Commissioners and staff flagged methodological caveats: preliminary FBI numbers can change as agencies submit late reports, local jurisdictions vary in intake practices, and some police departments publish initial intake counts while others publish only confirmed cases. Commissioner Zafar noted that some smaller categories (for example anti‑Muslim reports in certain visualizations) were grouped into "all other" when below reporting thresholds, affecting comparisons.
Staff emphasized outreach and data‑quality work — including AB 449 reporting work at the state level — and recommended sustained local partnerships to improve reporting and victim support. Commissioners asked for continued monitoring and for CRD to bring more granular local data to future meetings where available.
