From 2016 to 2017 hate crimes increased 5 percent in Los Angeles County, according to a report published Thursday.

The 2017 Hate Crime Report was released by the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations (LACCHR) this week, and it showed that hate crimes are on the rise. A hate crime can be defined as criminal acts or attacks based on bias, hatred or prejudice driven by a victim’s real or perceived race/ethnicity, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, gender or sexual orientation.

The total number of hate crimes within the county jumped from 482 in 2016, to 508 in 2017. And according to the commission report, this rise in hate crimes follows a pattern of increased prejudicial attacks over the last four years.

The LGBTQ+, African American, Latino and Jewish communities were the four most targeted groups by hate crimes in Los Angeles County in 2017, according to the report.

The report details that the largest affected racial group was African Americans, who constituted half of all racially-motivated hate crimes, and were targeted 15 percent more than in 2016.

And although there was an 11 percent decline in the number of hate crimes in which there was evidence of white supremacist ideology, the Jewish community was the most largely affected religious victims, with 20 percent of all hate crimes being committed against them.

Additionally, while sexual orientation crimes saw an 8 percent drop, 33 anti-transgender hate crimes were committed last year, the largest number ever reported, according to Los Angeles County officials. And 94 percent of those crimes were violent.

Crimes made against these communities varied between vandalism, simple assault, aggravated assault, intimidation, disorderly conduct and robbery.

The geographical area most largely affected by hate crime-motivated activity, according to the report, was Metro Service Planning Area (SPA 4), which constitutes the communities of Boyle Heights, Central City, Downtown LA, Echo Park, El Sereno, Hollywood, Mid-City Wilshire, Monterey Hills, Mount Washington, Silverlake, West Hollywood and Westlake.

During nine different hate crimes in 2017, President Donald Trump’s name was invoked by the suspect during the alleged criminal act. There were 14 crimes that used specific language regarding terrorism and/or unrest in the Middle East. And 41 crimes were committed in which the suspects used specifically anti-immigrant language.

LACCHR has responded to this apparent trend of hate crimes being on the rise within the county by increasing residents’ access to training and coalition-building, which aim to have a positive impact on prejudicial violence.

The training sessions organized by Commission staff members occur regularly throughout the year at various schools and government buildings, and promote “better human relations in Los Angeles County by working to transform prejudice into acceptance, inequity into justice and hostility into peace,” according to the LACCHR report.

These courses have been funded and reinforced by at least 10 State Senate and Assembly bills in Sacramento, and nine bills based in Washington D.C. by Congress.

For more information about courses and/or hate crime laws and definitions, visit LACCHR’s website here.

Report a typo or error, email Corrections@hometownstation.com

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.