Palm Springs leads Riverside County in 2024 hate crimes state DOJ report says
Athena Jreij
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A report from the California Department of Justice found Palm Springs leads Riverside County in hate crime incidents for 2024.
According to the report, Palm Springs recorded 10 incidents last year, with 34 in total for the entire county.
That’s nearly a third of all incidents, and reflects a trend also seen in 2023 where Palm Springs had 11 out of 35 recorded hate crimes in the county.
The 2024 report also found areas monitored by the Sheriff’s Department recorded 5 hate crimes, 1 in Banning, 1 in Cathedral City, 2 in Corona, 2 in Hemet, 1 in Jurupa Valley, 2 in Moreno Valley, 3 in Murrieta, 1 in Norco and 4 in Riverside. UC Riverside also recorded 2.
Among victims, Palm Springs also had the highest numbers with 16 hate crime victims.
In 2023, LGBTQ+ hate crimes were on the rise throughout the state. News Channel 3 found that pattern also continued, with incidents rising from 151 in 2023 to 172 in 2024.
Anti-gay male hate crimes also rose from 231 in 2023 to 251 in 2024 statewide.
Tonight, News Channel 3 is speaking with the Palm Springs Police Department on the measures they’re taking to keep numbers down.