Hate crimes in New York City have risen at an alarming rate – with both Jews and Muslims targeted more this year than last, with a significant uptick after July 1, according to the NYPD.
“The root cause of the anti-Semitic increase is also the root cause of the anti-Muslim increase,” Hate Crime Task Force Chief Michael Osgood said Wednesday during a security briefing for the High Holy Days. “This increase occurs after July 1st. Prior to July 1st, we were actually down since last year. On July 1st, the Gaza Strip becomes a major news story and stays persistent in the media through July and August.”
The emergence of ISIS as an international story at the beginning of July has had the same effect, he said. Most perpetrators are acting on impulse, Osgood added.
“That creates what is called an emotional surge,” he explained. “A personal who normally would not offend now offends, he gets moved emotionally. Another thing happens: a person who normally would not report, now reports. Those two things together create an increase that we commonly now see. “
He cited a double-digit increases in anti-Semitic crime and triple digit increases in those targeting Muslims this year.
In all, the five boroughs have recorded 224 hate crimes so far this year, compared with 192 in the same period last year, Osgood said. That’s a 17 percent increase. Those targeting Jews have risen from 64 to 89, for an increase of 39 percent. Attacks on Muslims have risen from seven to 17, an alarming 145 percent.
Investigators believe the defendants are acting alone.
“The defendants are not part of an active organized hate group,” Osgood said. “There is no evidence, among the people we arrest or in the fact patterns that we analyze that the offenders are members of an active organization.”
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