Los Angeles on pace to record 12% more anti-Jewish hate crimes in 2026 than last year, per police data

Last year, the city averaged almost 8.2 hate crimes monthly.

By Jessica Russak-Hoffman, JNS

Los Angeles recorded 46 anti-Jewish hate crimes from Jan. 1 to May 31 this year, according to Dara Hamilton, a detective who coordinates hate crime response for the Los Angeles Police Department.

As of the end of May, the LAPD tracked 281 hate crimes across all bias categories this year, including 50 aggravated assaults.

A public breakdown of those incidents has yet to be released. The department reported 98 anti-Jewish hate crimes in 2025, Hamilton told JNS.

The statistics in the first five months of 2026, in which Los Angeles is averaging 9.2 anti-Jewish hate crimes monthly, suggest that the city is on pace to record more than 110 anti-Jewish hate crimes this year, or about a 12% increase.

Last year, the city averaged almost 8.2 hate crimes monthly.

The Anti-Defamation League reported 817 anti-Jewish incidents statewide last year, including 322 in the city of Los Angeles.

Hamilton told JNS that LAPD figures reflect incidents investigated as hate crimes, regardless of whether charges were filed or convictions obtained.

The ADL’s annual audit also includes noncriminal incidents, such as harassment and vandalism.

“We communicate and work with the ADL, the Jewish Federation, Magen Am and many more Jewish organizations and institutions,” Hamilton told JNS.

“I also have a couple of LAPD reserve officers who assist me, one of whom is Jewish.”

“We regularly organize extra patrols at the synagogues,” Hamiltion added.

The LAPD does not offer Hebrew versions of its hate crimes informational pamphlets. It provides materials in several other languages, including Arabic, Armenian, Korean and Tagalog.

Hamilton told JNS that the department has Hebrew-speaking employees who can assist officers and investigators when needed.

“In addition, we contract with a third-party language bank for calls that patrol receives,” she said.