Diverse Queens Rates Well In Hate Crimes Study

New York State now ranks as the sixth-safest state in the U.S., according to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) statistics released this week.
Crime in New York dropped for the 11th consecutive year, with an estimated 2.7 percent overall decline in major offenses measured by the Uniform Crime Reporting System.
And here in Queens, in the span of just four years, there has been a drop of 57% in criminality classified as hate crimes — the largest in any of the boroughs.
A “hate crime” is defined as “any of various crimes… motivated by hostility to the victim as a member of a group (as one based on color, creed, gender, or sexual orientation).”
According to statistics, the 103rd Precinct in Jamaica has the second fewest hate crimes in the city.
Through October 16, for which the latest numbers are available, Patrol Borough Queens North (encompassing the 104, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 114 and 115 Precincts) has reported 24 hate crimes — four of which the Hate Crimes Task Force deemed not biased.
“I think the strong investigative and prosecutorial efforts on behalf of the Task Force and the District Attorney’s office have led to the drop,” said Inspector Carlos Gomez, PBQN.
Also leading to the low figures is the Hate Crimes Act of 2000, under which convicted criminals who target specific victims based on race, gender, etc. may face a minimum of eight years in prison as opposed to five for assault.
Under the provisions of new law, Anthony Ench, one of the white assailants in this summer’s racially-charged Howard Beach attack, pleaded guilty to beating Glenn Moore, who is black, on charges of attempted assault as a hate crime and attempted robbery.
Despite the downward trend, anti-Semitic crimes still account for 35% of all hate crimes.
“I find this pretty harrowing,” said Jeff Gurdus, president of the Northeast Queens Jewish Community Council. “If hate crimes went down against the general population, you would think they would go down against the Jewish population.”
Citing Queens’ diversity and the need for understanding, Gurdus said, “We live in a borough that is a great rainbow of people. If we learn more about each other there would be less friction.”