MISSOURI – FBI analysis shows that the number of hate crimes reported to police in Missouri skyrocketed from 2020 to 2021.
The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program released its 2021 hate crime statistics this week. Nationwide, police reported that bias against ancestry, ethnicity, race, gender, gender identity, religion, and sexual orientation led to 7,762 criminal incidents and 8,673 offenses.
In Missouri, 194 hate crime incidents were reported in 2021, compared to 115 incidents the year prior, a nearly 69% jump.
“This spike is alarming regardless of whether there were more incidents or because more victims were willing to report it,” Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg, FBI St. Louis Division, said.
More than 81% of all law enforcement agencies in Missouri reported hate crime data to the FBI, Greenberg said.
In 119 (61.3%) of the 194 recorded incidents, the victims were targeted based on their race, ethnicity, or ancestry.
Hate Crime Incidents Reported in Missouri
Category of Bias20212020Race/Ethnicity/Ancestry11976Sexual Orientation3316Religion2214Gender Identity91Multiple Biases63Disability42Gender13Totals194115Information courtesy: FBI
The FBI says that more than a quarter (25.1%) of all hate crimes that happened in Missouri in 2021 occurred near homes or residences. Nearly 14% took place on highways, roads, alleys, streets, and sidewalks; 9.4% in parking lots, garages, and drop lots; 6.9% occurred at schools, colleges, and universities; and 5% at places of worship. The remaining incidents happened in other specified locations or multiple locations.
There were 253 hate crime offenses recorded in Missouri in 2021, with the greatest number of crimes being simple assault (80), destruction, damage, or vandalism of property (54), intimidation (51), and aggravated assault (39).
Of the 201 known offenders tied to these crimes or incidents, 123 were racially identified as white, 42 as Black or African American, 23 unknown, 12 had multiple identities, and 1 as Asian.