FBI report shows high hate crime levels, but data missing

WASHINGTON — Hate crimes in the U.S. remained relatively high last year after a surge not seen in nearly two decades, according to a new FBI report. “Hate crimes tear at the fabric of our society and traumatize entire communities,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, as he called on law enforcement to commit to hate-crime data collection. “The failure by major states and cities across the country to report hate crime data essentially — and inexcusably — erases the lived experience of marginalized communities across the country.” The troubling trend continued this year with a series of brutal, high-profile hate crimes, including a mass shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs and another that targeted Black people at a grocery store in Buffalo. Federal authorities acknowledge the shortfall, but say the new system will eventually provide the country with a “richer and more complete picture of hate crimes nationwide,” Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta said in a statement.