Hate crimes in U.S. jump for third straight year

NEW YORK — The FBI says hate crimes reports were up about 17 percent in 2017, marking a rise for the third year in a row.

An annual report shows there were more than 7,100 reported hate crimes last year. There were increases in attacks motivated by racial bias, religious bias and because of a victim’s sexual orientation.

The report, released Tuesday, shows there was a nearly 23 percent increase in religion-based hate crimes. There was a 37 percent spike in anti-Jewish hate crimes.

Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker says the report is a “call to action.” He says the offenses were “despicable violations of our core values as Americans.”

The FBI says although the number of attacks has increased, so has the number of law enforcement agencies reporting hate-crime data.

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