New Jersey
New Jersey data shows state bias incidents increased in 2023
Reports of bias incidents in New Jersey increased by 22 percent from 2022 to 2023, according to preliminary data released by the state’s attorney general Thursday.
The preliminary data shows there were 2,699 bias incidents reported to New Jersey law enforcement in 2023. Anti-black and anti-Jewish bias remained the most common motivations for racial and religious bias incidents, as in previous years. The data further indicates an increase in anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bias, which increased by 75 percent and 70 percent, respectively. Bias incidents in schools also rose significantly last year, with the number of incidents increasing by 34 percent in elementary and secondary schools and by 117 percent in colleges and universities.
The Office of State Attorney General Matthew Platkin also released the final report of bias incident statistics in the state from 2021 to 2022. The data documents the continued rise of bias incidents, with 2,211 incidents reported in 2022 and 1,885 reported in 2021. In response to the data, the office stated:
Attorney General Platkin has made combating bias and hate a top priority and is committed to using every tool and resource available to tackle this problem to ensure that all New Jerseyans are safe and free to live without fear. The Department of Law and Public Safety (LPS) continues to work tirelessly to address the steady rise in reported bias incidents through criminal prosecution, civil enforcement, education, training, outreach, and prevention efforts.
The office additionally released a public awareness bias campaign and an interactive data dashboard in response to the increased bias and hate. LPS plans to launch its Bias Crimes Public Awareness Campaign later this year to increase residents’ awareness of bias incidents, increase reporting of those incidents, and use various media sources to prevent future incidents. The campaign, which will use the tagline “No Hate in the Garden State,” also seeks to inform the public of the resources available to victims. The new Bias Incident Dashboard will additionally provide the public with access to bias incident statistics in New Jersey, and users will be able to see the locations and motivations of the incidents as well as the demographic information related to them. According to the Chief Data Officer for the Office of Justice Data Dr. Kristin Golden, the dashboard will be an effective tool for combating bias and discrimination. She stated, “[b]y sharing this information broadly and consistently, we can more readily understand how bias impacts our communities and work to improve how we address the problem of bias together.”
Platkin’s office claims that the rise in reported bias incidents is partially due to the state’s improvements in reporting and community outreach. The office also believes that other factors, such as the spread of misinformation and bias on social media, the “lingering effects” of the Black Lives Matter movement, and political divisiveness, have contributed to the increase as well.
The report states that “bias incidents are suspected or confirmed acts of bias intimidation motivated by a victim’s perceived or actual race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, gender identity, or gender expression.” Examples of bias offenses include harassment, assault, arson, and homicide.
According to the Asbury Park Press, the changes in collecting data in recent years mean New Jersey is now combining violent hate crimes with noncriminal acts of hate speech. Some critics argue this could lead the government to try and address the issue of bias and discrimination with an inadequate approach. Platkin, however, emphasizes that New Jersey is taking all incidents seriously, including those that do not rise to the level of a crime. He stated, “[b]ias conduct, even if it’s not a crime or couldn’t be prosecuted, can be a signal that something is going wrong and that we need to, through a variety of channels, intervene.”
The data from New Jersey reflects the national trend of an increase in bias incidents and hate crimes. The FBI released its 2022 Hate Crimes Statistics last October, finding that race-based hate crimes remained the most common and that anti-black and African American incidents were three times higher than the next highest race or ethnicity. The report also found an increase in LGBTQ+ hate crimes, including a rise of nearly 40 percent in anti-transgender incidents from 2021 to 2022. Antisemitic and anti-Muslim sentiments have also increased throughout the nation, particularly following heightened conflict between Israel and Hamas since October 7, 2023.
It’s been nearly a decade and a half since the Brooklyn Nets moved out of New Jersey.
The organization has completely revamped its vibe since switching states, ditching the red, white and blue look for a very basic black and white colorway.
The Nets have also intermittently changed the colors of the banners hanging up in the Barclays Center from red, white and blue to black and white, much to the chagrin of traditional Nets fans.
Despite the Nets now playing in a bigger market and being far removed from their days in the Garden State, some fans seem to hope for the Nets to make their return across the river. New Jersey governor Mikie Sherrill was asked about the matter.
“I mean, would I support it? I ask about it all the time,” Sherrill said. “I love the idea. So, I have been pressing for that. I haven’t made a lot of headway yet; you know, maybe in my second 100 days.
“But I do think there is some work being done for some — I don’t know if I’m allowed to say too much about it — but some people are working on some different sports coming into the Rock.”
As time went on, the Nets eventually started to embrace more of their New Jersey roots, which started when they rocked a clean tie-dye jersey from the 90s during the 2020-21 season.
The next season, the Nets followed it up with uniforms commemorating their run in the 2000s, when the team got to the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003 and endlessly broke the ESPN top 10 with each crazy Jason Kidd assist and Vince Carter dunk.
It’s fitting that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the latter of whom grew up in New Jersey as a Nets fan, got to rock these uniforms, helping boost the popularity of the New Jersey brand to a wide array of fans.
True Nets fans embraced the Continental Airlines Arena/Izod Center and the swamps of East Rutherford, getting to witness a winning basketball team for a fraction of the cost of the team mired in dysfunction that happened to play their home games at “The World’s Most Famous Arena.”
Not many marquee free agents would have signed up to play in New Jersey, but real fans remember the good times in the swamps, especially with Sly the Fox as the team’s mascot. Those times deserve to be remembered properly.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
ATLANTIC COUNTY, N.J. (WPVI) — Drivers heading to the shore on Friday afternoon saw slow-moving traffic for several miles coming off the Walt Whitman bridge, but many travelers said the start of the holiday weekend was smoother than they anticipated.
Aldara Madden, who was traveling with her friend Elana Maser, said the trip moved faster than she expected.
“I was expecting it to take a lot longer,” she said.
Maser added that they left school early to avoid delays.
“My mom and I do that every year and then we always stop here as our little pre-down the shore,” she said.
Others shared similar experiences.
“I’m coming from Bucks County, so I was worried there was gonna be some traffic but it really wasn’t bad at all,” said Erin McFadden of Churchville, who was headed to Ocean City.
AAA reported that while slightly more people are traveling by car this year compared to last, 2026 is projected to have the lowest year-over-year travel growth rate in more than a decade, excluding the steep drop seen in 2020 during the pandemic.
The organization attributes the slowdown largely to concerns over rising prices.
“Gas is ridiculously expensive and I think all the time before going anywhere these days,” said Debbie Maser of Philadelphia. “But this is our happy place and nothing can keep us away.”
A dreary weekend forecast may also be influencing travel patterns.
“I was thinking that, I wonder if there’ll be less congestion on the roads because of the weather,” said Kyra Wolin of Massachusetts. “It’s not looking to be too good this weekend with the rain.”
Still, many shore-bound travelers said tradition outweighs any concerns about rain or crowds.
“No not at all. You go down. You get it done,” said George Miller of Lansdale.
Eric Wolin of Massachusetts agreed: “Never, never. Margate’s a special place for us.”
As the unofficial start of summer begins, travelers said they remain committed to kicking off the season in their favorite spots, not letting rain, traffic, or high prices keep them away.
Copyright © 2026 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.
This story is part of the WHYY News Climate Desk, bringing you news and solutions for our changing region.
From the Poconos to the Jersey Shore to the mouth of the Delaware Bay, what do you want to know about climate change? What would you like us to cover? Get in touch.
As summer begins, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill is urging residents to limit lawn watering, and hand water flowers and shrubs as a drought warning continues. The warning, in place since December 2025, could turn into a drought emergency if conditions do not improve. The state has suffered eight consecutive months of below-normal rainfall, according to officials.
“New Jersey is experiencing a chronic water supply drought, the scale of which we haven’t seen in more than twenty years,” state geologist Steven Domber said in a statement issued earlier this month. “The indicators that we track closely are showing persistently dry conditions. With uncertainty for rainfall in the coming months, we need residents to conserve water today, to ensure we have enough to sustain our needs over the summer.”
The Department of Environmental Protection uses a variety of indicators to determine drought levels, including precipitation, stream flows, reservoir levels, ground water levels and demand.
In addition to the last two months, officials say, the state “experienced below normal precipitation for 20 of the last 24 months since September 2024,” despite heavy snowfall events this past winter that helped restore reservoirs in North Jersey.
“While we saw a little relief over the winter, New Jersey is feeling the effects of nearly two years of below-normal precipitation,” Sherrill said in a statement earlier this month. She urged residents to voluntarily conserve water.
New Jersey state climatologist David Robinson said that since precipitation has been below normal for most of the last 24 months, the recent winter weather did not provide enough water to help restore streams and groundwater.
Should a drought emergency be declared, mandatory water restrictions would be put in place. The last drought emergency lasted almost a year, between March 2002 and January 2003.
-
Los Angeles, Ca5 minutes agoLos Angeles man charged in Southern California catalytic converter theft spree
-
Detroit, MI29 minutes agoRain-soaked Detroit job seekers show skills, grit at Comerica Park hiring event
-
San Francisco, CA41 minutes agoNine runs? NINE runs! White Sox down Giants with one huge inning
-
Dallas, TX47 minutes ago11 Dallas neighbors declared best places to live and more top stories
-
Miami, FL53 minutes agoDolphins 90 in 90: Tight end Greg Dulcich looking to build in 2026
-
Boston, MA59 minutes agoRed Sox’s Trade Market Desires Reported By Boston Insider
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoRookie LB Red Murdock is anything but Irrelevant and gives the Broncos a tackling and fumble forcing machine
-
Seattle, WA1 hour agoWhere to watch Seattle Mariners vs Kansas City Royals: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 23
