The NYPD reports a decrease in anti-Jewish hate crimes in 2023

(New York Jewish Week) — The New York Police Department has reported 100 anti-Jewish hate crimes in the city since the start of the year, a decrease of some 20 percent when compared to the same period last year. 

Anti-Jewish incidents have comprised nearly 45 percent of the 223 total hate crimes the NYPD has reported this year. Jews are targeted for hate crimes more than any other group in the city and have been the victims of a plurality of hate crimes each month. These incidents include assaults, vandalism such as swastikas being drawn in front of synagogues, verbal harassment and more.  

The NYPD’s monthly data is preliminary and may undergo revisions.  

A recent audit by the Anti-Defamation League found that there was a 39 percent increase in antisemitic incidents in New York State last year, from 416 in 2021 to 580 last year. The ADL report said that antisemitic incidents spiked 36 percent nationwide last year.

This year, Jewish security groups, including the New York-based Community Security Service and Community Security Initiative, teamed up with the ADL to form the Jewish Security Alliance, an effort to share resources and information to better fight hate in the tri-state area. 

The ADL also opened an office in Brooklyn, which it called the “epicenter” of antisemitic assaults. The ADL’s antisemitism also found that the majority of antisemitic assaults last year targeted Orthodox Jews, and that of the 111 assaults tallied nationwide, 52 took place in Brooklyn alone.  

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has a close relationship with the Orthodox community and frequently speaks out against antisemitism. Governor Kathy Hochul has also made multiple public statements denouncing antisemitism. 

The number of major crimes is similar in the first five months of 2023 to the figure from the same period last year. The city has seen reductions in five of seven major crime categories: murder, rape, robbery, burglary and grand larceny. The other two categories are felony assault and grand larceny.

“The women and men of the NYPD remain steadfast in their ongoing efforts to drive down crime, improve the quality of life in New York City, and earn the confidence of those who live in, work in, and visit the city,” the NYPD said in a press release.