SANTA ANA (AP) – There’s been a 14 percent rise in reported Orange County hate crimes with blacks targeted more than any other group.
After years of decline, the annual Orange County Human Relations Commission report released on Thursday showed there were 64 crimes last year against people because of their race, religion or sexual orientation.
The report says that 19 of those crimes were against blacks, which make up 2 percent of Orange County’s 3.2 million residents.
The most substantial increase involved those targeting Jewish people. They increased from three in 2010 to eight last year.
Crimes targeting Muslims and Arabs continued a three-year downward trend from 10 in 2009 and eight in 2010 to seven last year.
Crimes against homosexuals grew from five in 2010 to seven last year.
