Officials Urge Minnesotans to Report, Combat Hate Crimes

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - State officials are urging Minnesotans to report hate crimes to law enforcement.

According to FBI statistics , hate crimes are increasing on the national level. Minnesota also has seen a rise in bias crimes.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says 127 bias-motivated crimes were reported in the state last year. That's fewer than the 147 hate crimes reported in 2017, but it's still more than the number of hate crimes reported in 2016.

State Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero tells reporters her office has seen a significant increase in discrimination cases. Some 40 percent of the charges filed by the Department of Human Rights over the past year included claims of racial discrimination. That's up from 28 percent two years ago.