New York City experienced more hate crimes in the first half of 2021 than all of last year, according to new data released Tuesday by the New York Police Department.
As of July 4, more than 320 incidents had been reported to the authorities. Last year, the city saw a grand total of 269 hate crimes.
The biggest rise in hate crimes were among Asians, with 104 incidents reported so far this year—a 395 percent spike from 2020. The NYPD recorded just four hate crimes targeting the Asian community last year.
In late May, cameras captured an unprovoked attack on a 55-year-old Asian woman in New York's Chinatown in broad daylight. The woman was walking down the street shortly after 6 p.m. when a man walking in the opposite direction randomly punched her in the face, knocking her to the ground and rendering her unconscious.
Footage of a 65-year-old Asian woman who was brutally attacked in Midtown also sparked outrage and led to two doormen getting fired as they watched the assault take place in front of their building but failed to come to the woman's aid.
NYPD Asian Hate Crimes Task Force commander Tommy Ng said in May authorities are "absolutely" seeing an increased level of crime reporting, and that Asian Americans are being "more proactive" in documenting cases.
Hate-fueled crimes against Asian Americans have significantly increased since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
Stop AAPI Hate, a tracker created by several Asian American advocacy groups, found there were more than 2,800 incidents of racism and discrimination targeting Asians between March and December of 2020. Verbal abuse and shunning made up more than 90 percent of the incidents. Physical assaults accounted for nearly 9 percent of reported hate incidents.
Newsweek reached out to AAPI for comment on the NYPD's latest data, but didn't receive a response before publication.
NYPD's hate crime data also showed offenses against Blacks has risen 93 percent compared to this point last year, with 29 incidents reported so far. Hate crimes against Muslims rose 200 percent, with six attacks reported.
In addition, the NYPD reported 41 hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation this year versus nine last year, a 356 percent increase.
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said during a press conference Tuesday that overall crime through the first six months of 2021 is down by 1 percent compared to this time last year.
"Keeping all New Yorkers safe is what drives us, and your police officers are working with community members around the clock to do just that," Shea said in a statement as the new crime statistics were released. "Through targeted deployment and collaborative efforts with those we serve, the department continues in its mission to stamp out criminal activity and hold those who commit acts of violence to account."
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Alexandra Hutzler is currently a staff writer on Newsweek's politics team. Prior to joining Newsweek in summer 2018, she was ... Read more
