WASHINGTON — Montgomery County counts 33 incidents last year motivated by bias, ranging from assault to vandalism. Eighteen of those have been classified as criminal, and have been reported to the state as hate crimes.
When crime is motivated by race, religion, disability, ethnic origin or sexual orientation it is a hate crime that must be reported to the federal government.
Most of the incidents that occurred in Montgomery County last year were vandalism, and most targeted the Jewish community.
For example, in April, a sign at a synagogue was vandalized with a swastika. In August, a car had the Star of David scratched into the passenger door. In September, a high school was vandalized with a swastika. A restaurant owner also received anti-Jewish threatening phone calls, and a synagogue received suspicious mailings containing political comments about Israel.
Police say many bias crimes go unreported, but last year’s incidents represent a 56 percent decline in the number of hate crimes since 2006.
Other incidents reported last year include a victim who assaulted by her boyfriend because she’s bisexual. Another victim was assaulted while the offender shouted racial slurs, and a person was arrested for disorderly conduct while using anti-Hispanic language. There was also racial vandalism in a community, and trash left in the mailbox of an Islamic facility.
