New York, NY, October 16, 2006 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today called the 2005 FBI national hate crime statistics report "clearly incomplete" in light of the fact that two of the largest cities in America did not submit hate crime data.  ADL said the fact that New York City and Phoenix did not report data was "a setback to the progress the Bureau has made in the program over the past 15 years."

The 2005 FBI hate crime data documented 7,163 hate crimes reported by 12,417 police agencies across the country, a slight decrease in both the number of hate crimes and the agencies reporting them from 2004.

Noting that thousands of other smaller police agencies also did not participate in the FBI data collection effort, the League called for positive action by police agencies, lawmakers and educators to improve hate crime data collection and to expand efforts to address bias-motivated violence and vandalism across the nation.

Deborah M. Lauter, ADL Director of Civil Rights, issued the following analysis of highlights of the FBI report:

The fact that New York City and Phoenix did not report hate crime data to the FBI makes the 2005 report clearly incomplete and marks a setback to the progress the Bureau has made in the program.  New York City, which has been a model for police agencies on response to hate violence over the years, and Phoenix should provide their hate crime data to the FBI as quickly as possible and take steps to ensure timely, full participation in the future.  It is also disappointing that thousands of smaller police departments across the country also did not participate in this data collection effort.

Over the past 15 years, the FBI's Hate Crime Statistics Act (HCSA) report has become the single most important national source of information about the problem of hate violence in America and an essential resource for criminologists, policymakers and analysts.  The Bureau's good work in implementing the HCSA has increased public awareness of the problem and sparked significant improvements in the local response of the criminal justice system to hate violence. 

Behind the statistics are individuals and communities deeply impacted by these crimes.  Hate violence in America requires priority attention by law enforcement officials, policymakers, and educators.

ADL will continue to take a leadership role in crafting effective programming to address violent bigotry.

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.