There has been an upsurge in hate crimes and hate incidents in York Region, according to the latest hate crime report by York Regional Police.
There have been 293 hate crimes reported in 2023 compared to 277 the previous year. Of those, 111 incidents were directed toward followers of religions, compared to 85 the year prior, and 32 incidents regarding sexual orientation, compared to 28 the year before, according to the report presented at the April 24 police services board meeting.
The report states the increases in hate crime are reflective of the Israel-Hamas war, the Ukraine/Russian war, antisemitism, Islamophobia, the Black Lives Matter movement, the Iranian human rights struggles (Iranian Revolution movement), and resurging/ongoing right-wing ideology, as well as growth in immigration to Canada.
The dedicated York Regional Police Hate Crime Prevention Unit (HCPU) addresses hate crime through strategic community engagement, the report states. It includes reaching out to members of communities that are most affected and developing partnerships with diverse cultural and religious organizations.
Hate crime is in the form of hateful graffiti, mischief to property, and online hate incidents, police said.
Police have increased presence, patrol, and observations around places of worship in York Region.
In one of the crimes that occurred last year, a man went to a Markham mosque during Ramadan morning prayers in April and drove his vehicle toward the crowd of worshippers while uttering anti-Islamic comments. Police identified and arrested the individual.
