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The Deputy Attorney General of the United States, Rod Rosenstein, promised Monday that the Ministry of Justice reaffirmed its commitment to the prevention of hate crimes, two days after the murder of an armed man in the United States. eleven people in a Pittsburgh synagogue. (Oct. 29)
AP

Photo of the motor vehicle department of Robert Bowers, the suspect of the Pittsburgh synagogue attack.(Photo: AFP / Getty Images)

WASHINGTON – Hate crimes rose nearly 17 percent last year and included a corresponding increase in antisemitic attacks, according to a new FBI study.

The report comes weeks after a A 46-year-old man stormed a Pittsburgh synagogue, shouting anti-Semitic epithets, before killing 11 people.

There was a 17% increase in attacks on Jews: at least 976 offenses against 1,017 victims. This number was up from 834 cases involving 862 people the year before. Although the numbers have risen, the office said the increase reflected an increase in the number of agencies reporting such crimes to the FBI.

Last year, about 1,000 additional agencies submitted data to the office.

The report has sparked calls from law enforcement and civil rights activists for them to focus more on this type of attack.

"This report is a call to action – and we will take this call into account," Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker said Tuesday. "The Department of Justice's top priority is to reduce violent crime in America.Hate crimes are violent crimes, they are also abominable violations of our core values ​​as Americans."

Two weeks ago, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein pledged to renew his commitment to fighting hate crimes across the country, citing widespread under-reporting of such incidents.

Rosenstein said 88% of law enforcement agencies that provide hate crime data to the FBI's Uniform Crime Report have reported none in 2016.

"We are looking at the accuracy of these reports," Rosenstein said. "Just because hate crimes are not reported does not mean they are not, we need your help to help us understand the reasons that prevent victims from reporting crimes motivated by hate. Hate We also need to understand the obstacles facing law enforcement agencies and law enforcement agencies at the FBI. "

Some civil rights groups seized Tuesday's report, saying the figures for 2017 did not take into account a number of high-profile incidents, including the fatal killing of Srinivas Kuchibhotla in a Kansas bar. The anti-immigrant attack against the Indian man injured Alok Madasani, a friend of Kuchibhotla.

"The reported increase in FBI statistics on hate crimes is cause for concern, as are discrepancies between state and federal data on hate crimes," he said. omission of several high-profile incidents and the limited number of reports of hate crimes in some American Institute said Tuesday.

The legal director of the Sikh Coalition, Amrith Kaur, said the law enforcement forces needed additional training to recognize and report hate crimes.

"While everyone should be horrified by these staggering statistics, these numbers still do not provide a complete picture of the enormity of the problem," Kaur said.

The alleged gunman during the Pittsburgh attack, Robert Bowers, was indicted in 44 indictments and risked the death sentence when he was convicted. The federal authorities have not yet decided whether they would ask for the death penalty.

Bowers, who allegedly launched the assault at a baby 's baptismal ceremony, pleaded not guilty.

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