Washington, DC, November 4, 1996...Calling the FBI's 1995 national hate crime statistics report "sobering and disturbing," the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today called for expanded bipartisan efforts at both the federal and state levels to reduce hate violence. The 1995 FBI figures, collected under the mandate of the Hate Crime Statistics Act (HCSA) document 7,947 hate crimes, reported by 9,584 law enforcement agencies across the country. In 1994, the FBI reported 5,932 hate crimes from 7,356 agencies.

David H. Strassler, ADL National Chairman, and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement in reaction to the release of the FBI statistics:

The FBI's 1995 hate crime statistics are sobering and disturbing. The total of almost 8,000 separate crimes of vandalism and violence sets an unwelcome standard of bigotry and intolerance that must be addressed and reduced. The FBI numbers reveal that 1,058 incidents were directed at Jews and Jewish institutions -- over 80 percent of the total number of crimes directed at individuals on the basis of their religion. This high level of violence and vandalism directed against Jews is another reminder that violent anti-Semitism remains a significant problem in America.

At the same time, we welcome the significant increase in agencies participating in the HCSA program and commend the FBI for its continuing training and outreach efforts. The 1995 figures are much more complete than in past years -- with substantial improvement in the number of agencies participating in California, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Maine, and Wisconsin. We are concerned, however, that some large jurisdictions -- like Illinois, Georgia, and the District of Columbia -- are continuing to file obviously incomplete reports.

On the eve of the 1996 elections, this report provides hard evidence of the need for expanded efforts to address prejudice and hate violence at both the federal and state levels. ADL will work in concert with law enforcement organizations and civil rights groups to promote bipartisan support for education and training efforts to address this national problem with the administration and newly-elected legislators.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.