WASHINGTON (JTA) — The Anti-Defamation League expressed dismay at the low number of law enforcement agencies reporting hate crimes.
The FBI, in publishing its annual Hate Crimes accounting, said that of 14,977 participating agencies out of about 18,000 nationwide, only 1,949 — or 13 percent — reported hate crimes.
"It is necessary for all agencies to participate in this vital report, and to accurately and effectively communicate the reality of hate crimes in their jurisdiction," the ADL said in a statement Monday.
ADL officials expressed skepticism that the vast majority of agencies simply did not encounter hate crimes, particularly because 80 cities with populations of more than 100,000 either reported zero or did not report at all.
The report documented 6,628 hate crimes in 2010, a slight increase from 6,604 in 2009.
