HARTFORD, Conn. (WFSB) – Hate crimes are on the rise in Connecticut.

The year-over-year trend has prompted law officials to have community conversations about what a hate crime is and how you can stop them.

Marginalized groups have been targeted more—not only in our state, but across the country.

However, just because hate is present does not necessarily mean a crime has been committed.

It is still serious, but law enforcement is helping you know the difference.

“Hate crimes have increased year over year since 2021 in CT. That is a concerning trend,” said Ronnel Higgins, CT Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, Commissioner.

130 hate crimes were reported to the Connecticut Hate Crimes Investigative Unit just last year.

Police believe one of the reasons the numbers have skyrocketed is due to people becoming more comfortable reporting incidents.

“It identifies trends of hate bias and deploys resources to prevent future offenders,” Higgins said.

Earlier this year in March, A 12-year-old Waterbury girl was arrested and charged with a hate crime for allegedly attacking two Muslim classmates.

In April, two men were arrested for assaulting a man of Indian descent in Southington.

The HCLU describes the crime as hate being the motivation against a person’s race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or gender.

Ari Weisenfeld talks about the fears in his Jewish community.

“Many members of the community are living in a state of fear, apprehension, and nervousness. Obviously, the world is in a state of being a crazy place, and it’s not gotten any less crazy recently,” he said.

Wendy Tyson-Wood of the Greater Waterbury NAACP says it’s important to know what the crime is and how to respond.

“It made it crystal clear, in terms of, it is a criminal act, in addition to the motivation of that act. So, we don’t have to jump the gun,” Tyson Wood said.

While not all hate qualifies as a crime, officials say it is still wrong. Derogatory language or images can cause for legal action.

Commissioner Ronnel Higgins says becoming active with the youth to help build a better future is essential.

“There’s a lot of concern about where hate is coming from. There’s a lot of questions about our youth and how they’re interacting with one another. So we’re starting to work with education partners,” Higgins said.

Officials say that just because an act may not qualify as a hate crime, it is still serious, and it’s important to notify local law enforcement.

This will help them track these incidents with better accuracy.

Copyright 2025 WFSB. All rights reserved.