Hate crimes against black victims reported in Los Angeles County rose 15 percent last year after a significant decline the previous year, while crimes targeting Latinos rose 16 percent, according to a new report.
The number of total hate crimes reported in Los Angeles County rose 5 percent in 2017 to 508, according to the report released Thursday by the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations. It was the fourth consecutive year of increases following years of declines.
Since 2013, when reported hate crimes reached a 24-year low, there has been a 32 percent rise in reported hate crimes, said Robin Toma, executive director of the Commission at a press conference in downtown Los Angeles.
The overall increase is “cause for great concern,” he said….