September 4th, 2021 by WCBC Radio
Hate crimes in Maryland more than doubled in 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigations reported this week. But the FBI data shows that last year’s increase is based on reports from a small sliver of Maryland’s state and local policing agencies, which have consistently failed to report hate bias incidents to the federal agency for years.
The 2020 numbers reported by the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer demonstrate a concerning trend: Until 2020, hate crimes had declined in the state in the last few years, with only 19 reported to the federal agency in 2019.
In 2020, the FBI shows a 286% increase in crimes committed against people in Maryland based on their race, ethnicity or ancestry from 2019 to 2020
October 20th, 2018 by WCBC Radio
A report from state police says Maryland saw a sharp uptick in reports of hate or bias in 2017. The Baltimore Sun reports that Maryland State Police and records obtained through a public information request indicate the state's law enforcement agencies received 398 such reports last year, an increase of 35 percent from 2016.
The trend mirrors a national increase in reported hate crimes.
The most common incident was vandalism. Around 60 were assaults.
State or local police "verified" 46 percent of such complaints, while 52 percent were deemed "inconclusive." That means police couldn't determine whether the incidents were based on hate, often because they couldn't identify the suspects. Statewide, only 2 percent were ruled unfounded.
Maryland Commission on Civil Rights Executive Director Alvin Gillard says "chronic" underreporting persists.
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