Last week, the Florida Attorney General’s Office released the “2021 Hate Crimes in Florida Report.”
The report includes detailed information about the types of hate crimes reported throughout the state to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement under the Uniform Crime Reporting information system for the 2021 calendar year.
Hate crimes are senseless, criminal acts based on hatred and bias towards individuals or groups because of race, religion, sexual orientation or other personal characteristics. According to the report, 148 hate crimes were reported statewide from Jan. 1, 2021, through Dec. 31, 2021, up from 127 in 2020.
In 1989, the Florida Legislature passed laws designed to address the issue of hate crimes. Section 775.085, Florida Statutes, increases penalties for convictions of crimes where there is evidence of certain prejudice. Additionally, the Hate Crimes Reporting Act, Section 877.19, Florida Statutes, requires law enforcement agencies to report hate crimes to the FDLE. It also requires the Florida Attorney General’s Office to publish an annual summary of data collected by FDLE.
“Hate crimes have no place in our state. These criminal acts are driven through hatred and bias toward individuals or groups based on race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or other personal characteristics,” Moody wrote in the report. “This year’s annual Hate Crime Report shows that Florida’s law enforcement agencies reported 148 of these crimes statewide from Jan. 1, 2021, through Dec. 31, 2021. Florida is a law-and-order state, and we will show absolutely no tolerance for hate crimes.
“As attorney general, I encourage anyone who might suspect a hate crime, or any crime, to report the incident to law enforcement immediately. By working together to eliminate hate crimes and ensuring a safer environment for us all, we will build a stronger, safer Florida,” she added.
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