Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Hate Crimes Motivated By White Supremacy Fall in LA, But Don’t Celebrate
Latest hate crime report numbers have been released for L.A.
(
Hate crime via Shutterstock
)
Hate crimes in L.A. that included evidence of a white supremacist ideology on the part of the attacker fell by nearly 20% in 2021 compared with the year before, but a local expert warns against reading too much into the drop.
The Numbers
There were 96 reported hate crimes with evidence of white supremacist ideology in 2021, compared with 119 in 2020, according to a report by the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations.
In all, 786 hate crimes were reported last year — the most in nearly 20 years.
Support for LAist comes from
Why Hate Crimes Tied To White Supremacy Are Hard To Count
To count as such an attack, someone needs to express clear white supremacist ideology while committing a hate crime, explains Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino. He also noted hate crimes in general are notoriously undercounted — often by half.
“That was a difficult category to count,” he said.
That's because many racist extremists are expressing hatred in ways not defined as a crime, Levin said:
“Some of them would rather set up a website or do a rally or a banner display in a public facing way, such as the banner hung recently on the 405 supporting Kanye West’s antisemitism."
Support for LAist comes from
Levin said white supremacist communities form online now more than anywhere else.
LAPD Chief Michel Moore says white supremacists in L.A. are acting as individuals, making them hard to follow.
“Organized groups are not something that we see,” he said.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIzOTZweCIgd2lkdGg9IjY0MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=)
L.A. County investigators have launched a probe into allegations about Va Lecia Adams Kellum and people she hired at the L.A. Homeless Services Authority. -
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass suspended a state law allowing duplexes, calling more housing unsafe. But in Altadena, L.A. County leaders say these projects could be key for rebuilding.
-
This measure on the Nov. 4, 2025, California ballot is part of a larger battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
-
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline.
-
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5425437/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3897+0+0/resize/640x396!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
Best of LAist