LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Hate crimes are up more than 234% in the Las Vegas valley, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Nevada Crime Statistics defines a hate crime as a traditional offense like murder, arson, or vandalism with an added element of bias.
Rabbi Mendy Harlig with the Chabad of Southern Nevada told Channel 13 he's not surprised at the statistic and believes the Israel-Hamas War, which broke out last year, may be contributing to the statistic locally.
"People are definitely more vocal," said Harlig. "Someone feels now that they have a right to tell me something because of the way I look, the way I dress and they'll come and say something anti-Semitic."
Harlig said on October 7, 2023 — the day the conflict in Gaza broke out — someone yelled an offensive slur at him as he was walking home from the synagogue.
"Someone felt comfortable to roll down the window, stop right next to me and yell, 'Heil Hitler,'" said Harlig. "I live around the corner from here. I'm walking with my little daughters and it was very surprising and not something I experienced usually here in town."
In the Hebrew calendar, the holiday called Sukkot was on October 7, 2023. Harlig told Channel 13 it's a day of unity and harvest.
He said he's thankful the incident last year didn't escalate to violence. But that's not the case for many others in Las Vegas.
According to LVMPD, there have been 97 hate crimes so far this year. In 2023, that number was 29.
More than 80% of the hate crimes in 2024 are related to race and ethnicity.
Why might this be happening?
To understand why the increase might be happening, Channel 13 spoke to UNLV law professor Frank Rudy Cooper who teaches subjects on race, gender, and policing.
"I think that we are unfortunately in a political climate where there is more leeway for racism," said Cooper. "Another thing that I think is going on right now is that there's a huge uptick in antisemitism and antisemitic acts."
Cooper said the war overseas has contributed to a surge in hate crimes, but so has our politically charged climate during an election year.
Nevada Crime Statistics show in 2020 the number of hate crimes in Las Vegas was 82.
"It creates more of a sense of fear in our community," said Cooper. "If people feel like they can just innocently be walking down the street and they'll be targeted because of who they are as a status as opposed to anything they've done."
Both Cooper and Harlig believe the only real way to stop hate crime is education.
"The most important thing I certainly found in my life that getting to know different types of people," said Cooper. "I think is really important that we meet other people then we're educated about the value of being tolerant or better yet open to other people."
Harlig said speaking with people is something he tries to do as much as possible.
"The more people you speak to, the more people you reach," Harlig said.
Nevada laws don't outline specific penalties for hate crimes. But if a crime against a victim is proven to be biased, a hate crime enhancement can be added and that could mean more time behind bars.
If you believe you are a victim of a hate crime or witnessed one, you can submit an incident report to the Anti-Defamation League, where they said they will work to assess the situation and respond to needs as quickly as possible. If it is an emergency, call 911.
