Hate crimes against AAPI community more than doubled since previous year, LAPD report shows

Hate crimes against the Asian American Pacific Islander community more than doubled the previous year, according to a new Los Angeles Police Department hate crime report.

LOS ANGELES - Hate crimes against the Asian American Pacific Islander community more than doubled the previous year, according to a new Los Angeles Police Department hate crime report.

The Los Angeles Police Commission is set to review the new findings at its meeting Tuesday. The report shows hate crimes against the AAPI community made up 8.1% of the hate crimes relating to race in the city.

Fifteen hate crimes were reported in the community in 2020 compared to seven the previous year, nine were battery, and five were criminal threats, according to the report.

Hate incidents were also on the rise in the AAPI community, making up 4.5% of the 199 total hate incidents reported last year, 8% of those were against AAPI individuals when related to race.

The majority of these crimes and incidents took place in the LA West and Central divisions, where victims were walking on the sidewalk or in shopping center parking lots.

According to the LAPD report, in six of the 24 hate crime and incidents, the offenders mentioned the coronavirus towards their victims.

This new report parallels the surge in anti-Asian hate crimes and incidents across the country and after Wuhan, China was blamed for the COVID-19 outbreak.

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