LOCAL

Report: Austin led Texas in hate crimes in 2017

Mark D. Wilson
mdwilson@statesman.com

New FBI data examining hate crimes throughout the United States shows that Austin led the state of Texas in reported hate crimes last year.

The FBI collected data from 1,009 participating agencies throughout the state, covering a total of 190 reported incidents through the year. Austin had 18, the most in any city in Texas, according to the FBI’s 2017 Hate Crime Statistics report.

Dallas followed with 14 hate crimes reported in 2017, then Fort Worth with 13 and Houston with eight.

Of those in Austin, 10 were motivated by race, ethnicity or ancestry, three by religion, four by sexual orientation and one by gender identity, the report says.

Meanwhile, 2017 was the third year in a row Austin reported hate crimes in the double digits.

The city saw 19 hate crimes in 2016, 10 of which were motivated by race, ethnicity or ancestry. Six cases were motivated by sexual orientation, two were by religion and one by gender identity, records show.

In 2015, Austin reported 13 hate crimes. That year, five cases were motivated by race, ethnicity or ancestry, two by religion, four by sexual orientation and two by gender identity.

It is unclear how many hate crimes have been reported so far in 2018. An Islamic center in North Austin and a Jewish-owned food truck in South Austin were vandalized earlier this year, but officials have yet to confirmed whether those incidents have been classified as hate crimes.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice's definition, hate crimes include acts of physical harm and specific criminal threats motivated by animosity based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

Renee Lafair, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League in Austin, said the FBI data might not show a precise picture of hate crimes in the area.

On one hand, the high number of reported hate crimes in Austin compared to other cities in Texas might reflect the concentration of groups in the area paying attention to the issue.

Local law enforcement agencies including Austin police and the Travis County sheriff’s office have worked hard for years to identify and report these crimes, and Austin is home to the Austin/Travis County Hate Crimes Task Force, which is composed of more than 60 local, state and federal agencies — ranging from district attorneys' offices and law enforcement to hospitals and municipalities — that work together to prevent hate crimes.

“The Austin numbers probably reflect the fact that city and local law enforcement pay attention to hate crimes and are supercareful to make sure they count them when they happen,” Lafair said.

Though Lafair said the Austin area does a good job of identifying and reporting hate crimes, she believes many still go unreported.

Lafair said hate speech leads to hate crimes, and that the tone of incivility permeating discourse in America is emboldening some people to target larger groups.

“When anti-Semitic rhetoric is allowed in the public square without condemnation, especially from leaders, it gives a green light to keep spouting it and acting on it,” she said, adding that it’s incumbent upon all leaders to stand up against hate speech.

Before 2015, the number of reported hate crimes each year in Austin had been significantly lower. The city reported four hate crimes in both 2014 and 2013, six in 2012 and five in 2011.

Across the country, hate crime reports have been going up consistently since 2014. That year, the FBI recorded 5,479 incidents nationwide. The number rose to 5,850 in 2015, then to 6,121 in 2016. Last year, the bureau recorded 7,175, marking the first time the agency recorded more than 7,000 reported incidents nationwide since 2008.