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TBI: Reported hate crimes across the state were slightly up in 2021

The TBI released its annual hate crime study on Tuesday, showing assaults involving bias against race and sexual orientation were the two most frequently reported.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn — The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation released its 2021 hate crime study, which showed the number of reported hate crimes increased slightly in the state last year.

The TBI said a total of 133 offenses involving some form of known bias were reported in 2021, continuing a slight upward trend compared to 122 in 2020 and 112 in 2019.

Around 73% of the reported hate crimes in 2021 were crimes against people, which included assaults, intimidation, murder, and stalking. Law enforcement did not report any murders involving a hate crime in 2021. The majority of reported crimes involved aggravated or simple assault.

However, LaKenya Middlebrook with the Knoxville Office on Community Safety said it doesn't have to be physical violence to count as a hate crime.

"Hate crimes can be any number of things. It doesn't have to be a physical attack. It can be intimidation, it could be stalking, it can be property damage," Middlebrook said.

In the TBI report, there were 7 reported instances of hate crimes in Knoxville and Knox County. Other places in East Tennessee like Monroe County, Pigeon Forge, Morristown, Blount County, Jefferson County and Crossville also reported hate crimes.

"We have seen here, in our community, crimes where folks' properties are vandalized, because of hate for the color of their skin or how they identify," Middlebrook said.

Of all the hate crimes reported, those involving bias against people's race/ethnicity/ancestry were the most reported at 65% of all assault incidents. The second-most reported involved bias against people's sexual orientation, which accounted for 15% of all assault incidents.

"A person shouldn't be concerned about whether or not they're going to be harmed or intimidated or attacked because of various aspects of who they are," Middlebrook said.

Anti-Black or Anti-African American bias was the most reported of all hate crimes in the state at 37%, followed by anti-LGBTQ hate crimes at 13%. The TBI separates its data on some sexual bias crimes by specific sexual orientation and gender based on how different agencies report it in the state's criminal database, showing an additional 3% of crimes had reported specific anti-gay bias and 1.5% had reported anti-transgender bias. Crimes involving sexual bias have nearly doubled since 2019, primarily against LGBTQ people, according to the TBI report. 

Credit: TBI

A total of 13 religious-biased hate crimes were reported in 2021, primarily against Sikh, Jewish and non-specified Christian faiths. The TBI also reported two incidents against Eastern Orthodox faiths, which include faiths practiced in Russia, Greece and others.

Another 12 crimes involved bias against a person's disability. Reports involving both anti-physical disability and anti-mental disability hate crimes have quadrupled since 2019. 

Only 31% of reported hate crimes in 2021 were cleared by an arrest.

The TBI reported significantly fewer crimes of unknown bias motivation this year. A total of 69 crimes of "unknown" bias were reported, down from 266 in 2020.

The TBI said "unknown" bias crimes are generally not true hate crimes, saying these are entered into the state's TIBRS database if the law enforcement agency is still investigating and unsure if a biased motivation existed. The state classifies "unknown" incidents as hate crimes until law enforcement officers make it clear there were no biases involved.

Middlebrook said the best way the city can fight back against the increase in hate crimes is to change our hearts.

"We need to stand up for and with our neighbors, friends, co-workers and people that we worship or exist with," Middlebrook said."If it's not a safe space for certain people, it's not a safe space for any of us."

You can read the full TBI report at this link.

You can learn more about the Knoxville Office on Community safety at this link.

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