Oregon sees 229% increase in bias crime reports amid 'pervasive' underreporting

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Bias and hate crime reporting remain on the rise in Oregon, with reports soaring over 200% from 2020 to 2023, according to an annual report released by the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission.

On Monday, the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission released its Bias Crimes (2023) Report, showing an overall 229% increase in reports to Oregon's Bias Response Hotline from 2020 to 2023, and a 222% increase in reports of bias crimes and non-criminal bias incidents from 910 reports in 2020 to 2,932 reports in 2023.

Despite the increase in reports to the hotline, officials said underreporting of hate crimes and bias-motivated conduct is still "pervasive."

“Acts of bias and hatred are cruel and cowardly, and they deny people the dignity of safety and belonging every Oregonian deserves. Hate speech, slur-filled graffiti, bigoted flyering campaigns, and bias-motivated assaults are what we are seeing and hearing about regularly on the Hotline,” Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said.

“The work our Civil Rights Unit does is integral to combating hate in Oregon. We know most people don’t tell anyone—oftentimes including law enforcement—about their hate and bias experiences, so it is critical we continue to invest in and support our front-line advocates providing crucial services to Oregonians throughout the state on the Hotline.”

Since its launch in January 2020, Oregon's Bias Response Hotline has helped thousands of Oregonians every year who have been impacted by bias and hate, according to the Oregon DOJ.

The hotline is often used as an alternative to reporting bias and hate incidents to law enforcement and offers confidential support with connections to community services.

Every year, the hotline has seen an increase in reports, according to the Oregon DOJ.

According to the Criminal Justice Commission report, every county in Oregon has reported bias crimes and incidents, However, not all communities are impacted equally.

Authorities pointed out that anti-Asian bias reporting peaked in 2021, and crimes against Hispanic and Latinx Oregonians peaked in 2022.

Additionally, Black/African Americans are consistently at the highest risk of hate-based targeting with more than 500 yearly reports – accounting for 19% of all victimizations reported to the hotline while making up only 2% of Oregon’s population, officials said.

The report also found that anti-religion bias saw the largest increase in reports -- rising 128% from 2022 to 2023 -- including a 263% jump in anti-Muslim targeting, and a 144% increase in anti-Jewish targeting.

The LGBTQIA2S+ community also had increased reports with reported gender identity targeted increasing by 56%, and reports targeting sexual orientation rising by 28% from 2022 to 2023.

The increased reporting happened as the Oregon DOJ launched its "You Belong" campaign in May to increase awareness of the Bias Response Hotline.

The campaign comes as the state sees "extensive underreporting" of bias crimes and incidents to law enforcement as hotline data from 2022 to 2023 had more than twice the number of victims compared to the National-Incident Based Reporting System -- which is a law enforcement reporting system under the Oregon State Police.

Underreporting varies by victim demographics, with white people and males tend to report incidents to law enforcement, while BIPOC people, females, and gender expansive bias crime victims tending to report their experiences to the hotline, authorities said.

“What we’re seeing in Oregon, we believe, is a ‘both-and’ scenario, where we believe the data shows both an increase in incidents and an increase in awareness of and engagement with the Bias Response Hotline,” said Fay Stetz-Waters, Oregon DOJ’s Director of Civil Rights and Social Justice. “At the core of the Hotline’s services is a recognition that data reflect numbers, but we are supporting actual human beings whose lives have been turned upside-down by hate. We must acknowledge the reality that hate and bias are plaguing all our communities, that it has enormous impact in community members’ ability to thrive, and that the Hotline is one critical tool in our toolkit for providing support, tracking and documenting this scourge, and ultimately helping to pave a path to human-centered healing.”

The data also points to a “small but significant sign of improvement," showing a decrease in bias reports in schools, which declined to approximately 300 reports in 2023 after hitting a peak of 444 reports in 2022.

Authorities note younger people still remain at risk as the hotline has seen yearly increases in bias incidents targeting young people. Kids age 17 and younger have seen a steep increase in bias crimes and incidents between 2021 (174 reports) and 2022 (361 reports), along with another increase in 2023 (441 reports).

The Bias Response Hotline can be reached online or by calling 1-844-924-BIAS (2427).