Orange County to release the new 2021 Hate Crimes Report

SANTA ANA, Calif. (September 6, 2022) — On September 15, 2022, the public is invited to participate in the virtual release of the 2021 Orange County (OC) Hate Crimes Report, where the Orange County Human Relations Commission (Commission) will present Orange County hate activity trends for 2021. The County produces and publishes this report annually to increase awareness, strengthen hate crime prevention programming, and promote a bias-free community. The Report will be available online upon release on the OC Human Relations Commission website at http://occommunityservices.org/ochrc.

The 2021 OC Hate Crimes Report reflects a six percent increase in total hate crimes and incidents from 2020 in Orange County. Of the 398 hate crimes and incidents reported, 60% of cases were motivated by the person’s race, ethnicity, and/or national origin.

“As a community, it is important we continue to stand up to prejudice, so everyone can feel safe and secure,” said Chairman Doug Chaffee, Fourth District Supervisor of the OC Board of Supervisors. “The continued rise in hate activity across the nation shows we can do more to create an all-inclusive environment, which is why my fellow Board members and I strongly support expanding the County’s anti-hate efforts.”

In December 2021, the OC Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to approve a $1 million proposal submitted by the Commission to expand anti-hate efforts, which received a unanimous vote from the OC Board of Supervisors. These efforts focus on expanding language accessibility and ways to report bias-motivated hate; creating a comprehensive service provider network to improve and expand support services for victims of hate; and launching a multicultural, multilingual, and diverse education/awareness campaign for all of Orange County.

2021 OC Hate Crimes Report Release Information:

Date: Thursday, September 15, 2022

Time: 10-11:30 a.m.

Location: Webinar via Zoom

Panel Speakers: Chief Michael Kent, Irvine Police Department; Senior Deputy District Attorney Brett Brian, OC District Attorney; Community Programs Director Amy Arambulo, 211OC

Registration: https://conta.cc/3yMHyl2; Registration closes Tuesday, September 13.

For registration assistance, please contact Ginrich Moua at ginrich@ochumanrelations.org.

The County of Orange would like to thank the OC Human Relations Commission which is comprised of volunteer members of the public appointed by the OC Board of Supervisors to seek out the causes of tension and conflict; discrimination and intolerance based on race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, or marital status; and attempt to eliminate those causes.

The County of Orange would also like to thank the OC Human Relations Council, which is contracted by the County to support the Commission and work closely with law enforcement, nonprofit organizations, diverse faith leaders, and community members to respond to and track hate crimes and incidents on behalf of the County.

To learn more about services provided by the County through the OC Human Relations Commission, please visit occommunityservices.org/ochrc.