New York hate crime figures have doubled since last year with a spike after Donald Trump’s election
Hate crime reports have doubled year-on-year in New York City.
Police officials from the NYPD told the City Council there have been 140 incidents of various hate crimes reported since the start of the year.
This compared to 70 for the same period in 2016.
An increase in anti-transgender, anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim incidents make up much of the rise, NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told the council’s Committee on Public Safety and Finance.
The increase was largely due to a rise in what is defined as “criminal mischief”, with swastikas being graffitied across the city, the Observer reports.
Thankfully, bias-driven assaults are “considerably” down since last year, Boyce said.
The rising trend in hate crimes seemingly began with the election of President Donald Trump last November.
Boyce had previously reported an increase by 115 percent in bias crimes since the presidential election.
President Trump’s administration has been criticised for its stance on LGBT rights and anti-equality policies.
US Vice President Mike Pence seemingly believes in conversion therapy to ‘cure’ gay people.
The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force had to hire five new investigators since last year to deal with the increasing number of incidents.
The two areas of the city mainly affected by hate crimes are Brooklyn South and Queens North.
“Now the hate crimes unit speaks to the commanding officers of those precincts to get the word out on what’s going on,” Boyce said.
Earlier this month a transgender woman died in New York after being found with serious head trauma.
