FBI report: hate crimes on the rise in Wisconsin and US despite significant underreporting

FBI report: hate crimes on the rise in Wisconsin and US despite significant underreporting
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MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The number of hate crimes committed in the US is spiking, according to new data from the FBI. It's concerning both advocacy groups and marginalized populations. But only a fraction of law enforcement agencies submitted data for the most recent study, meaning hate crime statistics are likely even higher.

The FBI's data is usually the most comprehensive report on hate crimes in the country, but only a fraction of law enforcement agencies participated in the 2021 study.

That bears true in Wisconsin, where fewer than two-thirds of agencies submitted data.

Jake Kurz, a spokesperson for the Anti-Defamation League, said, "What we believe is that it's a lot bigger than what we're seeing right now."

The numbers are incomplete, but what was reported is already high: a 54% increase in hate crimes in Wisconsin.

Nearly 7,300 hate crimes were reported throughout the US in 2021, the third-highest total in the last decade despite serious underreporting.

In 2020 more than 80% of eligible law enforcement agencies reported hate crime data to the FBI, but in 2021 that number fell to below two-thirds.

It's blamed largely on changes the FBI made to the reporting requirements.

Another challenge: different jurisdictions have different definitions of what constitutes a hate crime.

Kurz said the ADL defines a hate crime as "something that's meant to intimidate someone just based on a group identification."

Kurz said everyone needs to be aware because the most-targeted groups are often the least likely to report hate crimes. So the ADL wants to "Make sure expectations are known by everyone of what a hate crime is, how they need to report that. Then we can get more accurate numbers and help those people affected by hate crimes."

The FBI data show victims were targeted because of their race, followed by sexual orientation and then religion.

The Marshall Project further broke down the Wisconsin numbers, which show several area law enforcement agencies reported all crime data to the FBI.

But those were among just 211 of 447 Wisconsin agencies to report a full year of data; only 287 agencies submitted any data at all.

Kurz said, "Reporting a hate crime will be welcomed by law enforcement agencies. And we'll be there to assist as we can."

According to The Marshall Project, the largest law enforcement agency in the state that did not report crime data to the FBI is the Waukesha Police Department, which did not report any data in 2021.

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