NCJ Number
187308
Date Published
2000
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This report presents data on "bias incident" offenses from New Jersey's 1999 Uniform Crime Reports.
Abstract
The report's introduction notes that bias incidents jeopardize the active and open pursuit of freedom and opportunity, since they attack citizens based on their race, religion, ethnic heritage, sexual orientation, handicap, or gender. Data on such incidents for 1999 indicate that police were aware of 633 individual bias incidents in 1999, resulting in 679 offenses, a 23-percent decrease from 1998. Harassment accounted for 31 percent (210) of the offenses. Criminal mischief and damage to property accounted for 45 percent (304) of all offenses. Racial bias accounted for 49 percent (336) of all bias incident crimes in 1999. African-Americans represented the most frequent racial group victimized by bias crimes, accounting for 40 percent of all offenses. Members of the Jewish faith represented the most frequent religious group victimized by bias crime, accounting for 26 percent of all offenses. Hispanics were the most frequent ethnic group victimized by bias crime, accounting for 9 percent of all offenses. The most frequent day of occurrence was Thursday (120 offenses), and the most frequent month of occurrence was April (80 offenses). The most frequent place of occurrence was a residence, where 27 percent of all bias incidents occurred. Forty-two percent (288) of all bias incident offenses were cleared, with 66 percent being cleared by arrest and 34 percent being exceptionally cleared. Compared to 1998, arrests for such offenses increased 21 percent. Extensive tables and figures