As the first anniversary of the attack that killed four members of a Muslim family in London approaches, police have released new statistics showing an increase in hate incidents and crimes.
61 cases were reported to police in 2019, 93 in 2020 and 146 in 2021, according to the report presented Thursday before the police services commission. From January 1 to March 24, 2022, 26 cases were identified.
Data obtained by the CBC through a Freedom of Information request also shows that seven hate -related cases were filed between January and March 2022.
So far this week, London police said they had already investigated two incidents, one involving racist graffiti on a playground and the other at the Maple Leaf construction site, where an intricate rope was discovered. sinking and graffiti.
This resurrection came as no surprise to Aarij Anwer, imam of the London mosque. Anecdotes of hate -motivated incidents came to him from members of his community.
This is something we have seen and now the statistics are back to our hunch, we saw its worst showing on the 6th of June. said Mr. Anwer, referring to the deadly attack on June 6, 2021 against the Afzaal family.
Despite their increase, these incidents represent only a very small proportion of all crimes in London, according to the report which also warns of the far -reaching effects of such activities.
” Their nature is that they often have a global reach. The impact of these is undeniable, not only on an individual victim, but on the entire community. “
In 2021, the communities in London with the highest number of reported hate crimes/incidents are: Black community, LGBTQ2+ community, Muslim community, Jewish community and Middle Eastern community.
According to the report, these five groups make up 71% of all hate crimes and hate incidents reported to London police.
A reporting system that needs to be improved
For Mr. Anwer, improving the way police hate crimes and incidents are reported will go a long way in combating them.
In some cases, members of his community face long waits and delays in filing reports.
The London Police analysis also indicates that property damage continues to be the most common motive, accounting for 46% of all incidents.
However, the number of violent crimes increased in 2021, reaching 31% of all cases that year.
There is this feeling of anxiety that people feel, describes the imam. Now statistics confirm this.
With information from Andrew Lupton, CBC
Source: Radio-Canada
