New stats show hate crimes in B.C. surged during first year of COVID pandemic

New statistics released by the Canadian government Friday back up what police agencies and community groups have been seeing recently — a surge in the number of hate crimes in B.C.

Anti-Asian hate crimes have been reported to be on the rise in places like Metro Vancouver since the start of the pandemic.

The latest stats across Canada show the reported crimes targeting that demographic went up more than 300 per cent in 2020.

Vancouver lawyer Steve Ngo told Global News he is not surprised. He was a victim last spring.

“I was driving my car at the intersection and I heard two people call me a racial slur and throw garbage at my car and speed off,” he said.

He then found himself waiting more than an hour trying to navigate how to report what happened.

“Outside of Vancouver you still have to call a phone line or reporting isn’t available. Or if it is, it’s only in English,” Ngo added.

He said he thinks that is why these crimes are so under-reported.

2:13 BC Human Rights Commissioner launches online portal for reporting hate crimes

He said the Vancouver police website now offers residents the opportunity to report online in multiple languages, but the RCMP pilot only covers a few communities and someone can only report in English and French.

In other jurisdictions, someone can only report by phone, in English and with limited hours.

Ngo would like to see a streamlined system across the province.

“We need to take action to report online to police,” he said. “We can’t be living in a place with people with their heads down, shoulders down, it really hurts.”

2:12 Rallies held in Metro Vancouver as part of National Day of Action Against Anti-Asian Racism

• Rallies held in Metro Vancouver as part of National Day of Action Against Anti-Asian Racism
• B.C. government proposes anti-racism hotline
• Vancouver resident raises questions about how people who don’t speak English or read Chinese are expected to report hate crimes
• More Asian British Columbians coming forward to tell stories of hostility and racist treatment
• Incidents of Asian hate in B.C. are still under-reported
• Addressing anti-Asian racism as hate crime increases in Vancouver
• Premier John Horgan says his government is working new hate crimes legislation
• Vancouver Anti-Asian hate crime up 717% in 2020

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In B.C., hate crimes targeting black people went up 92 per cent in 2020. Those against Indigenous people went up 152 per cent and those against South Asian people went up 47 per cent.

Nova Scotia had the highest increases in police-reported hate crimes while B.C. and Saskatchewan followed at 60 per cent.