FBI: 1 Hate Crime in West Bloomfield Last Year

There was one reported hate crime in West Bloomfield last year, according to a report issued Monday by the FBI.

Hate Crime Statistics, 2010 found that nationally, there were 6,628 criminal incidents involving 7,699 offenses reported in 2010 as a result of bias toward a particular race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity/national origin, or physical or mental disability.

The local incident occurred in November and involved an incident of graffiti on the rear door and walls of Drake Summit Shopping Center, according to Lt. Tim Diamond.

"Swastikas ... were graffitied on the walls there," Diamond said.

Diamond said that hate crimes are very rare in the township, "whether they be graffiti or anything else."

Nationally, the report found that:

• Of the 6,624 single bias incidents, 47.3 percent were motivated by a racial bias, 20 percent were motivated by a religious bias, 19.3 percent were motivated by a sexual orientation bias, and 12.8 percent were motivated by an ethnicity/national origin bias. Bias against a disability accounted for 0.6 percent of single-bias incidents.
• There were 4,824 hate crime offenses classified as crimes against persons. Intimidation accounted for 46.2 percent of these crimes, simple assaults for 34.8 percent, and aggravated assaults for 18.4 percent. In addition, seven murders were reported as hate crimes.
• There were 2,861 hate crime offenses classified as crimes against property; most of these (81.1 percent) were acts of destruction/damage/vandalism. The remaining 18.9 percent of crimes against property consisted of robbery, burglary, larceny theft, motor vehicle theft, arson, and other offenses.
• Of the 6,008 known offenders, 58.6 percent were white and 18.4 percent were black. For 12 percent, the race was unknown, and the remaining known offenders were of other races.
• The largest percentage (31.4 percent) of hate crime incidents occurred in or near homes. Another 17 percent took place on highways, roads, alleys, or streets; 10.9 percent happened at schools or colleges; 5.8 percent in parking lots or garages; and 3.7 percent in churches, synagogues, or temples. The location was considered other or unknown for 14.3 percent of hate crime incidents. The remaining 16.9 percent of hate crime incidents took place at other specified locations or multiple locations.

Tim Rath contributed to this report.