Report: Hate Crimes Surge In Suffolk, New York City
HAUPPAUGUE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) - The number of hate crimes reported in Suffolk County surged last year compared to the year prior, a state report shows.
The report from the state Division of Criminal Justice Services obtained by Newsday shows the number of hate crimes rose 200 percent in Suffolk from 2011 to 2012.
As WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported, many of the bias crimes reported in the county were anti-Jewish property crimes.
Report: Hate Crimes Surge In Suffolk, New York City
"People might not really know the deep meaning and how hateful these symbols or these words are," David Newman with the Jewish Community Relations Council told Hall.
The spike in reported hate crimes was likely driven in part by revamped policies implemented by the police, Hall reported.
"It might look bad in the numbers but in reality, the Suffolk County Police Department will identify a crime as a hate crime regardless if it's solved or not," said Newman.
The Suffolk Police Department did not respond to a request for comment.
A total of 720 hate crimes were reported statewide last year, the report showed.
That marks a 30 percent increase compared with 2011. In New York City, the number of reported hate crimes rose 54 percent from 2011 to 2012, according to the report.
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