Police now report hate crimes separately after the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks. Since then, they have recorded over 20,000 hate-motivated crimes. These crimes are defined as acts driven by hostility towards a person’s specific characteristics, which can include race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or age.
In July, police said a hate-motivated attack occurred when a 16-year-old boy was hit with a metal rod on a bus. Data released to RNZ shows there were 20,194 reported hate-motivated incidents from 2020 to June this year. Auckland City had about 3,412 incidents, while Counties Manukau saw 2,540. Wellington reported 2,445 incidents, and Canterbury had 2,696. Northland had the fewest incidents, with only 536.
The total number of reported hate crimes has been rising since 2020. Reports went from over 1,300 in 2020 to nearly 6,400 last year. Police suggest this increase is due to greater awareness and better reporting, not necessarily an overall rise in hate crimes.
Mere Wilson Tuala-Fata, Director of Prevention and Change, stated that reporting hate crimes is still new, and police are working to improve how these incidents are recorded. She emphasized that hate or prejudice-based violence is not acceptable and encouraged anyone feeling unsafe or targeted to report it to the police.
Police understand the severe impact of hate crimes on individuals and communities. They investigate all reports of violent extremism and hate-related incidents. The police categorize hate crimes under six protected characteristics, recognizing that one crime may target more than one group or characteristic.
