Toronto’s police chief says reported hate crimes in the city rose again in February as the city continues to grapple with conflict in the Middle East.
In his regular update to the Toronto Police Services Board, Chief Myron Demkiw said the reported number of hate-motivated crimes rose after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
“It has been 163 days since the Middle East crisis began, and the impact of the geopolitical unrest abroad continues to affect people worldwide, including in Canada and right here in Toronto,” Demkiw said.
He said 24 protest-related arrests have been made since then, with 30 charges laid.
The number of hate-motivated crimes in the city is up 93 per cent compared to the same period last year, the chief said. Police have been called to 989 reported hate crimes in that time.
In 2024, police said there were 304 hate crime-related calls, compared to 225 during the opening months of 2023.
Reported crimes spiked in October and November, dropped in December and January and began to rise in February once again.
“Of the 84 hate crimes so far in 2024, 56 per cent are antisemitic,” he said. “Last month saw the highest number of antisemitic occurrences in the last three years.”
The second-highest category targeted by hate crimes was the LGBTQ2 community, followed by anti-Black and then anti-Muslim racism.
“While under-reporting of all forms of hate crimes is a concern, I know from talking to people in the community that Islamophobia is a significant concern and given our statistics I am concerned about significant under-reporting in this regard,” the chief said.
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