Hate crimes in Toronto down slightly from year before, still higher than pre-pandemic: police

A new report from Toronto police says the number of reported hate crimes in the city slightly decreased in 2022, but the number still remains much higher than pre-pandemic levels. 

The report presented Thursday at a police services board meeting said that compared to 2021, the number of reported hate crimes decreased approximately six per cent from 257 to 242.

Based on data collected between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2022, the report says that despite the decrease, "the number of reported hate crimes in 2022 is 74 per cent higher than the pre-pandemic level." In 2019, there were 139 reported hate crimes.

The new number is also 40 per cent higher than the annual average for the last 10 years, which is approximately 173.

91% motivated by race, ethnicity, nationality

Police say 46 suspects were arrested and 112 charges were laid in connection to hate-motivated crimes in 2022.

Of the 242 reported crimes, 91 were motivated by race, ethnicity and nationality. Of those 91, 47 targeted members of the Black community, the report said.

"Despite seeing a slight drop in reported hate crimes in 2022, we know they continue to be under reported for several reasons, including fear and retaliation," said Deputy Chief Robert Johnson in a news release. 

Some 76 incidents were directed against members of religious groups. Anti-Semitic incidents accounted for 83 per cent of that category, according to the report.

"The Jewish community represents 3.4 per cent  of the population in the City of Toronto while being victimized in approximately 26 per cent of the total hate crimes," data show.

The force says members of the Jewish and Black communities were the most common targets of hate-motivated acts of vandalism, while members of the LGBTQ community were the most frequent victims of hate-motivated assault.

The report also says that while anti-Asian hate crimes decreased in 2022, they were still higher than pre-pandemic years. On top of that, the Asian community was noted to be the most targeted group on public transit, according to the report.

The figures show 33 hate crimes overall were recorded on public transit in 2022, a 15 per cent decline compared to the year before. 

Police also said 52 hate crimes were reported at schools in 2022, and that 90 per cent of such crimes were non-violent. Seven such crimes were also recorded at places of worships.

Disinformation, social isolation could play role: police

The Toronto police report states that the rise in reported hate crimes as compared to before the pandemic could be impacted by a number of factors, like online disinformation, geopolitical events and social isolation that was made worse by COVID-19.

Anti-Ukrainian hate crimes increased from zero in 2021 to nine in 2022, police say, and anti-Russian hate crimes increased from zero in 2021 to three in 2022, according to the report.