Oregon notches 74% rise in reports of hate crimes, bias incidents

Reports of bias incidents and crimes have increased since 2020 and are driven in part by extremist rhetoric becoming more mainstream, according to a new report.
Nooses left in schoolyards and on people’s doorsteps. Pride flags torn down and burned. Places of worship defaced and damaged. Threats of violence, rape and death.

These are among the nearly 6,000 reports of bias incidents and crimes the Oregon Department of Justice’s Bias Response Hotline has received in the three years since the program launched, according to a state report released this month.