East Bay Express-

Hate crimes were up sharply in 2017 in the East Bay and California, according to a report released today by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra.

Statewide, there were 1,093 hate crime incidents in 2017, a rise of 17.3 percent from the previous year. And in Alameda County, hate crimes jumped from 59 in 2016 to 89 in 2017.

The annual hate crimes report is based on data collected by law enforcement agencies and isn’t a scientific sampling. According to the Attorney General’s office, the report may not include incidents in which the victims didn’t feel comfortable reporting to law enforcement. The numbers also depend on each particular police agency’s competency and willingness to identify hate crimes.

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