HOLLAND, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – The Michigan State Police have just released their annual Michigan Incident Crime Reporting Hate/Bias Crime report for 2016.
The good news is that only two hate crimes occurred in Allegan County last year and Ottawa County was not mentioned in the report at all. The bad news is that hate crimes have increased in the state of Michigan by 23 percent from 2015.
The two hate incidents that was reported by the Allegan Police Department involved white men stalking or intimidating women. One of the cases was anti-female and homosexual intimidation.
Sheriff Steve Kempker says that he proud that Ottawa County has stayed off the list in light of all the racism surrounding our country right now. “The fact that we did not make it onto that report is a good thing, a good goal, but those types of incidents are on the rise not only in Michigan but across the United States.”
Overall, the state of Michigan had 490 cases of hate/bias crime in 2016. The year before, the number of incidents totaled 399. Racial bias, at 79%, was the biggest motivation of hate crimes. Of that 79%, 239 of the incidents were aimed towards anti-black sentiments and 102 were anti-white.
Hate crimes are not necessarily defined by race or ethnicity, however. Any person showing bias towards religion, sexual orientation, or mental/ physical disability group can be charged with a hate crime, which carries a felony punishable by up to two years in jail or a $5,000 fine.
