FBI Reports Increase in Hate Crimes

ByABC News
November 24, 2004, 8:45 PM

Nov. 26, 2004 — -- There were 7,489 reports of hate crimes in 2003, including 14 homicides, according to the FBI.

Fifty-two percent of the 9,100 alleged hate-crime victims whose cases were reported to the FBI were targeted because of their race. Religion and sexual orientation ranked second as motivations for hate crimes -- at 16 percent each.

Crimes based on sexual orientation formed the motivation for crimes against 1,479 victims in 2003, including 783 against male homosexuals. That included six homicides.

According to the FBI, vandalism and property destruction are the most common types of attack.

Forty-five states have laws to address hate crimes. All states except Hawaii reported at least one hate crime last year. California reported the most hate crimes, citing 1,701 hate-motivated incidents in 2003.

Civil rights advocates and supporters of hate-crimes statutes have called for increased assistance from the Justice Department to assist local law enforcement agencies in prosecuting such crimes. Congress failed to pass final legislation to step up federal assistance before the end of its last session.

States with laws addressing hate or bias crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity:

California
Connecticut
The District of Columbia
Hawaii
New Mexico
Minnesota
Missouri
Pennsylvania
Vermont

States with laws addressing hate or bias crimes based on sexual orientation:

Arizona
Delaware
Florida
Illinois
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Massachusetts
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
Oregon
Rhode Island
Tennessee
Texas
Washington
Wisconsin

The following states have laws addressing hate or bias crimes, but the statutes do not include crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity:

Alabama
Alaska
Colorado
Idaho
Maryland
Michigan
Mississippi
Montana
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
South Dakota
Virginia
West Virginia

The following states have laws addressing hate or bias crimes, but the laws do not list any specific categories:
Utah

These states have no statutes addressing hate or bias crimes:
Arkansas
Georgia*
Indiana
South Carolina
Wyoming

*A statute adopted by Georgia in 2000 was overturned as "unconstitutionally vague" by the state Supreme Court in October.