StatsCan reports decline in hate crimes

Statistics Canada says the number and rate of police-reported hate crimes declined sharply in 2010, but incidents involving sexual orientation remained at the same level.

In total, the agency says police reported 1,401 hate crimes in 2010 – what amounts to 4,1 incidents for every 100,000 people, and a rate 18 per cent lower than in 2009.

According to the agency, most of the decrease was a result of a drop in violent hate crimes, which accounted for approximately one in three incidents.

Blacks continued to be the most commonly targeted ethnic group or race in 2010, making up about 40 per cent of all racial incidents. Arabs and West Asians were the second and third most frequently targeted group.

Although the rate of crime against Jewish people dropped 38 per cent from 2009, they were the victims of about half of all religion motivated crimes – a total of 204 incidents.

Provincially, the highest rate of police-reported hate crime occurred in Ontario, with 5.7 incidents for every 100,000 people.

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