New York, NY, October 17, 2005 …Responding to the release of the FBI's annual crime report today, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) called for action by police agencies, lawmakers, and educators to address bias-motivated violence and vandalism and to develop positive programs to address this national problem.   The FBI report documents a slight decrease in overall crime reports in 2004, but an increase in the number of reported hate crimes. 
 
The 2004 FBI hate crime data released today, collected under the mandate of the 1990 Hate Crime Statistics Act (HCSA), documented 7,649 hate crimes reported by 12,711 police agencies across the country – an increase in both the number of hate crimes and the agencies reporting them.  In 2003, 11,909 departments reported 7,489 hate crimes -- acts of vandalism and violence directed at individuals and institutions on the basis of their race, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, and disability.  The FBI hate crime numbers are available here.

Barbara B. Balser, ADL National Chairman, and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:

We welcome the release of the FBI's 2004 hate crime statistics.  This report always serves as a wake-up call that hate crime remains a national problem in America.  These troubling statistics do not speak for themselves – because behind the numbers are individuals and communities deeply impacted by these crimes.   Hate violence in America requires priority attention by law enforcement officials, policymakers, and educators.

•  Law Enforcement Officials.  The 12,711 police agencies that participated in the FBI hate crime data collection effort in 2004 represents the largest number of reporting agencies in the 14-year history of the report.  That is welcome news, especially because many of these agencies have adopted policies and procedures and training initiatives to address this criminal activity in their jurisdictions.  Still, over 4,000 law enforcement agencies are not yet participating in the FBI effort at all.

•  Policymakers.  45 states and the District of Columbia have enacted hate crime laws to address the special impact of bias crimes on the community, many based on an ADL Model Statute.  The League has worked to enact comprehensive laws in every state – and leads a coalition of civil rights, law enforcement, and religious organizations in Washington working to enact broader, more inclusive federal hate crime authority.  That legislation, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crime Prevention Act of 2005, was approved as an amendment to the Children's Safety Act of 2005 on September 14 by a vote of 223-199.  The Senate version of the hate crime bill now has 45 cosponsors and is awaiting action in the Senate Judiciary Committee.   Congress must act to permit federal authorities to provide the full range of assistance to local officials prosecuting hate crimes and, when appropriate, to investigate and prosecute hate crimes in those circumstances where state and local officials cannot or will not act themselves.

•  Educators.  There is a growing awareness of the need to complement tough law enforcement efforts with significant anti-bias education initiatives to address racism, prejudice, and all forms of bigotry in schools and in the community.  The Federal government has an essential leadership role to play in this effort – especially because studies indicate that juveniles are disproportionately represented as both perpetrators and victims of hate crimes.  The League has created award-winning anti-bias initiatives, including those developed by the A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute. 

The FBI report documented that the number of reported religion-based crimes increased slightly from 2003 -- with nearly 70 percent of those crimes directed against Jews and Jewish institutions.

ADL will continue to take a leadership role in crafting effective programming to address prejudice and bigotry and will continue to promote bipartisan support for expanded federal jurisdiction to address this national problem.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.