HATE CRIMES DROP IN COUNTY REPORT NOTES MORE FEMALE OFFENDERS, TRACKS GANG TIES.Byline: Troy Anderson Staff Writer Hate crimes in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County fell to their lowest level in 15 years in 2004, despite slight increases against Asians and Latinos, more racial violence between Latino and black gangs and more female offenders, a report released Monday says. The total number of hate crimes dropped from 691 in 2003 to 502 last year, a 27 percent decline, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the county's Commission on Human Relations human relations npl → relaciones fpl humanas . Still, anti-Latino hate crimes increased from 54 to 62 - including a 173 percent jump in crimes specifically against Mexicans, from 15 to 41 - and those against Asians rose from 27 to 29. Crimes against Muslims rose from seven to eight. Karen Wong, vice president of program administration at the Asian-Pacific American Asian-Pacific American is a term that was used in the United States to include both Asian Americans and Americans of Pacific Islander American due to its official use as a race on the United States Census between the years 1990 and 2000. Legal Center, cited the Iraq War Iraq War: see under Persian Gulf Wars. Iraq War or Second Persian Gulf War Brief conflict in 2003 between Iraq and a combined force of troops largely from the U.S. and Great Britain; and a subsequent U.S. , the fight against terrorism and more anti-immigrant sentiment as reasons for the increase against ``groups perceived as being foreigners.'' ``The official numbers are just part of the picture and do not mean that we've achieved racial harmony here or have eliminated hate,'' she said. The growing rift between Latinos and blacks was especially noticeable, according to the report. Blacks were suspects in 78 percent of anti-Latino crimes, and Latinos were suspects in 73 percent of anti-black crimes. ``The phenomena of African-Americans and Latinos targeting each other can be explained in part by racially motivated gang violence between the groups,'' commission Executive Director Robin Toma said. One in 10 hate crimes - or 41 cases involving 56 victims - were committed by gang members last year, the first time the commission has tracked such data. Those figures came as a new Sheriff's Department report found that gang-related homicides in the areas it patrols increased 31 percent from 144 as of Oct. 31 in 2003 to 189 at the same time this year. The report also found a large increase in hate crimes involving girls. Last year, 60 percent of the female suspects in hate crimes were juveniles, compared to 25 percent the previous year. ``This issue is quite serious, with three ... attempted murders In the criminal law, attempted murder is committed when the defendant does an act that is more than merely preparatory to the commission of the crime of murder and, at the time of these acts, the person has a specific intention to kill. in 2004 committed by gang members, and with more girls as perpetrators,'' commission President Kathay Feng said. In one case, 20 black children - including 10 girls - attacked a black transgender transgender or transgendered adj. Transsexual. woman in South Los Angeles South Los Angeles is the official name for a large geographic and cultural area lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central Los Angeles, and is still sometimes called South Central. , throwing rocks, bottles, bricks and cans at her. Officers who interviewed the children said they admitted to the crime and laughed, continuing to use homophobic ho·mo·pho·bi·a n. 1. Fear of or contempt for lesbians and gay men. 2. Behavior based on such a feeling. [homo(sexual) + -phobia. slurs while justifying the attack. ``What does it mean when passive children as young as 9 years old attack a transgender person and feel the need to brag about it?'' Toma asked. Deputy District Attorney Loni Carlston, in charge of the Hate Crimes Unit, said girls are ``acting out more as hate-crime offenders.'' Her office filed 99 hate-crime charges last year involving 65 adults and 34 juveniles. That's up from 88 charges filed in 2003, involving 60 adults and 28 juveniles. Troy Anderson, (213) 974-8985 troy.anderson(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): chart Chart: (ran in Valley edition only) Hate crime decline SOURCE: Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission |
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