California Hate Crime Rate Remains Steady

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The overall number of hate crimes in California remained steady last year, but the number targeting Hispanics nearly doubled.

A state Department of Justice report released Thursday says there were 1,107 reported crimes motivated by race, religion, sexual orientation and other forms of bias in 2010. That's just seven more cases than in 2009.

While hate crimes against Jews, blacks and the LGBT community decreased, the state says hate crimes against Hispanics rose by 47 percent. Officials recorded 119 anti-Hispanic crimes in 2010, compared to 81 in the previous year.

Still, hate crimes against blacks account for the largest percentage with 324 reports -- or 29 percent of all cases -- last year.

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