SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (NEXSTAR) — The Anti-Defamation League says the problems aren’t getting better.
“We’re living in concerning times,” Midwest Regional Director of the ADL David Goldenberg said. “It is not been this collectively bad for our communities in America for more than 25 years. From a statistical perspective, but also from an actual one, the decade and a half downward trend in the number of hate crimes from 2001 when the Muslim community was targeted with hate fueled crimes in the aftermath of September 11th and then that downward trend ended in 2015. Since then, the FBI has tracked more than 100% increase in hate crimes reported across the country.”
Illinois has laws that define a hate crime, but advocates say it’s not being relayed to law enforcement effectively.
“Despite Illinois being one of the first states in the country to establish a state hate crimes law, we are still not one of the 14 who require our police officers to be trained on it. This must change,” Goldenberg said.