California Attorney General Rob Bonta has released the 2024 Hate Crime in California Report, revealing a 2.7% increase in reported hate crime events from the previous year. The report indicates a rise from 1,970 incidents in 2023 to 2,023 in 2024, with significant increases in crimes against LGBTQ+ and Jewish communities.
Attorney General Bonta emphasized the importance of data transparency and accessibility to understand and combat hate crimes. He stated, “There is absolutely no place for hate in California. Transparent and accessible data is a critical part of understanding where we are and how we can end hate crimes in our communities.” Bonta called on local leaders to review available data and resources and to unite against hate.
The California Department of Justice has been collecting statewide hate crime data since 1995. Under state law, a hate crime is defined as a criminal act motivated by bias against characteristics such as disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or association with individuals possessing these traits.
Bonta urged those who believe they have been victims of hate crimes to notify law enforcement and take steps such as documenting evidence and contacting community organizations. Hate crimes differ from hate incidents which may involve protected expressions under the First Amendment unless they threaten persons or property.
The report highlighted several key findings: while racial bias-related events decreased slightly by 0.6%, anti-Jewish bias events rose by 7.3%. Incidents motivated by sexual orientation bias increased by 12.3%, along with anti-transgender bias events also rising by the same percentage.
The number of hate crimes referred for prosecution grew from 679 in 2023 to 818 in 2024. Of these cases, district attorneys filed charges for both bias-motivated and non-bias motivated crimes.
Earlier this year, Attorney General Bonta issued updated guidance on handling potential increases in violence against immigrants due to xenophobic rhetoric. Resources include law enforcement bulletins on prohibiting hate crimes and protocols for rapid response deployment.
To further combat hate and bias, Bonta launched the Racial Justice Bureau supporting civil rights advancement across California. This includes engaging city leaders through roundtables and launching the Office of Community Awareness, Response, and Engagement to work directly with marginalized communities.
A virtual Community Briefing hosted by DOJ’s Office of Community Awareness will be held on July 30th at 1 pm PT to discuss highlights from the report.
The full report is available online for public exploration via OpenJustice.
