Unfortunately, around the country, we have seen an increase in hate crimes over the last year. One of the most recent occurred in Brooklyn when a 29-year-old man by the name of Ali Alaheri was accused of setting fire to a building housing a yeshiva and synagogue and, several hours later, attacking a man in Hasidic garb in the early morning hours of May 19, 2021. Both were captured on surveillance video.
He was later charged and now faces a mandatory minimum of five years imprisonment if convicted. This matter is being considered a hate crime and is being handled by the Civil Rights Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New
York.

A Significant Uptick in Hate Crimes in New York This Year The state of New York considers hate crimes as those offences that are motivated by beliefs and perceptions about another individual or group of individuals based on “race, colour, national origin, ancestry, gender, religion, religious practice, age, disability, or sexual orientation.” From the first of this year through May, 2021, there has been an over 90 percent
increase in hate crimes throughout the city, up from the same time last year, according to the NYPD. Officials suggest that the true number is probably much higher since these types of crimes often go unreported. Reported hate crimes have surged through the
city, led by a recent rise in violence against individuals of Asian heritage. Now, the NYPD has figures that show hate crimes against Jews significantly surged in May, possibly precipitated by the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
The Anti-Defamation League has said that anti-Semitic incidents have risen by 77 percent compared to the previous year since the conflict in the Middle East began. Jonathan Greenblatt, the chief executive of the league, believes that we are now living
in a time when extremists feel emboldened.

The FBI Gets Involved

Federal agents are now joining the New York Police Department in battling the recent increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes. The FBI typically gets involved when crimes are a matter of federal jurisdiction or mass casualties. They partnered with the New York
Police Department in at least two hates crime investigations last month. The FBI has recently met with local Jewish groups to discuss these crimes and has intensified PR campaigns urging reporting these crimes to officials. In addition, the
NYPD is increasing their own outreach into the community and adding patrolling units in the neighbourhoods that have been more affected.
Getting Legal Advice After a Hate Crime Hate crime laws are in place to protect the civil liberties of institutions and groups of
people of a protected class and are heavily prosecuted. For those who have been individually targeted, additional hate crime punishments can be added to sentencing on top of another criminal penalty.
Although perpetrating a hate crime in the state of New York is unlawful and conviction carries heavy penalties, this does little to help the victim. There are cases when a victim may have the right to a civil action against the defendant if they were personally harmed
in a hate crime. If you feel that you were targeted in a hate crime or were unfairly charged with a hate crime, you should get the advice of skilled legal counsel. Contact Bukh Law Firm for a free case review.