Jan. 17, 2023, Ottawa, Ont. – Ottawa police say reports of hate crime in the city increased by 13 per cent in 2022.
Jewish Federation of Ottawa president Andrea Freedman says antisemitism is on the rise and young people are the main targets, pointing to the reported use of Nazi symbols by students at Sir Robert Borden High School last month.
Police charged two youths with hate crimes, and their identities are protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Other groups in the city argue that the rate of hate crime is the same, but the number of reports is rising because more people are coming forward.
The head of the Ottawa Police Service’s hate and bias crime unit says people of colour and members of the Jewish and LGBTQ communities are the “most victimized.”
Ali Toghorl says his unit is working with members of the community to rebuild trust in the force, and he expects numbers will continue to rise annually as comfort with police increases.
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