In 2023, there was a 47% increase in the number of hate crimes reported to the Toronto Police Service, according to the Annual Hate Crime Statistical Report released by the service last week.
The findings showed that 45% of the reported hate crimes in 2023 were motivated by religious bias. When broken down into groups, a vast majority of the hate crimes, some 130 incidents, were found to be targeting the Jewish community.
Surge in hate crimes in schools
Most of the reported hate crimes, 21%, happened on the street. The report also found that 18% of the crimes occurred in schools, representing a surge of 23% compared with 2022. In addition, 14% of the crimes happened in areas of or on public transportation, marking a rise of 52% compared to the past year.
The number of charges filed rose by 39% in 2023 compared to 2022, with 59 people charged for involvement in 61 incidents, bringing the total to 156 charges.
According to the report, between October 7 and December 31, 2023, 23 people were arrested by the service, and 57 criminal charges were filed concerning hate-motivated crimes.
Between those same dates, the service arrested nine individuals and filed nine criminal charges in protest-related contexts.