State Reports Drop In Hate Crimes Officials Skeptical; They Say Actual Numbers May Be Higher

For the third straight year, the number of hate crimes reported in Washington state declined in 1996, but some say the figures may be misleading.

“You always have to say reported crime,” said Bill Wassmuth, executive director of the Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment.

“We’re not quick to jump to the conclusion that the decline is an actual decline.”

“A lot of people don’t trust police agencies,” said David Della, head of the state’s Commission on Asian and Pacific American Affairs. “Others consider it a private matter, so they don’t make a big deal of it.”

As reported by the Washington State Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, there were 199 bias-incident reports, down from 261 in 1995 and 286 in 1994.

The decline from 1995 to 1996 ran counter to figures indicating a nationwide increase of 36 percent. National figures from 1996 have yet to be released.

In the state, reported hate crimes declined last year in all categories except those motivated by ethnicity or national origin, which rose from 21 to 23.

As in the past, about two-thirds of the race-related hate crime reports and 40 percent overall listed blacks as victims. About two-thirds of those based on ethnic or national origin were against Hispanics.