Unprecedented tensions lead to 'staggering' hate crime increase: Toronto police chief

Unprecedented tensions resulting from the Israel-Hamas war have led to a "staggering" increase in hate crimes across Toronto, the city's police chief said during a board meeting on Thursday.

Both the number of Islamophobic or anti-Palestinian and antisemitic hate crimes has risen significantly since Oct. 7, Chief Myron Demkiw said. 

Demkiw said there have been 38 reports of antisemitic hate crimes and 17 reports of anti-Muslim or anti-Palestinian hate crime since Oct. 7, both numbers representing a significant year-over-year increase. 

"These alarming trends in our city, our city which prides itself in our diversity, are the likes of which we have never seen before," Demkiw said. "To combat these deeply concerning issues, we have committed a significant number of resources to address these overall increases."

The 17 Islamophobic or anti-Palestinian hate crimes reported from Oct. 7 to Nov. 20 represent a 1,600 per cent spike year-over-year, Demkiw said.

For reports of antisemitic hate crimes, there has been a 192 per cent increase from Oct. 7 to Nov. 20 compared to the same time last year, Demkiw said, an increase from 13 to 38.

He did say, however, that antisemitism makes up 40 per cent of all hate crimes reported so far in 2023, he said — 129 of 323 total.

He says the force's hate crime unit has been expanded from a team of six to 32. And that since Oct. 7, the unit has made 22 arrests and laid 58 charges. 

Demkiw also noted a large increase in hate-related graffiti since Oct. 7. He said there were 63 instances of Islamophobic or anti-Palestinian graffiti reported from Oct. 7 to Nov. 20 this year, compared to two in 2022. There were 217 instances of antisemitic graffiti reported during the timeframe,  he said, compared to 19 last year. 

Demkiw did not provide percentage increases during his remarks, but based on his figures that would mean a 3,050 per cent increase in Islamophobic or anti-Palestinian graffiti and a 1,042 per cent increase in antisemitic graffiti.

He said the number of hate crimes in the city is likely higher than the data shows, as some people may be reluctant to report occurences.

Responding to reports of hate speech can be complex, Supt. Katherine Stephenson, with Toronto police's intelligence unit, told reporters after the meeting. 

"Often what might be received as a hate symbol or a hateful chant on its own does not always meet the threshold of what is considered to be hate speech, which is a very high threshold in this country," she said. 

Stephenson said the force consults with experts and other organizations, and seeks evidence to support a claim something was hate speech. She said police must present the attorney general with the case and receive their consent before laying a hate speech charge.

Demkiw last provided an update on Toronto's hate crime statistics on Oct. 19, about two weeks after the Israel-Hamas war began. At that time, he said hate crime reports were up by 132 per cent.

His update follows a weekend that saw a Toronto man arrested in connection with multiple hate-motivated assaults, including a Saturday morning attack on worshippers outside a mosque. On Friday, a Jewish school closed early because of a bomb threat.