Spike in hate crime reports in Toronto since Israel-Hamas conflict began: police

By Staff The Canadian Press

Posted November 23, 2023 12:36 pm

Updated November 23, 2023 9:21 pm

1 min read

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Click to play video: 'Toronto police say they have made arrests in 1 of 78 hate-motivated crimes they’ve investigated since Oct. 7' — WATCH: As Catherine McDonald reports, the 11 arrests are related to vandalism at an Indigo store on Bay Street earlier in November – Nov 23, 2023

Toronto’s police chief says there’s been a “staggering” increase in hate crime reports in the city since the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas last month.

Chief Myron Demkiw says there have been 38 reports of anti-Semitic hate crimes and 17 anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab hate crime reports since Oct. 7.

Speaking at a Toronto Police Services Board’s meeting today, Demkiw says the city is experiencing a period of high tensions.

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He says the force has expanded its hate crimes unit since the Israel-Hamas conflict began, increasing it in size from six members to a team of 32 officers.

Demkiw says Toronto police have made 22 arrests and laid 58 charges related to hate crime incidents in the past month.

The most common charges include uttering threats, conspiracy to commit mischief and assault with a weapon.