An executive order from the governor’s office paves the way for Interagency Task Force to Combat Youth Bias, following the release of a study conducted by Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, which finds what he calls a “rising tide of hate” in the Garden State.
How high is that tide? There were 569 reported incidents statewide last year, up 20 from 2017. It's also the highest number since 2011.
About one in 10 of the reports led to actual charges being filed.
It’s not clear if the overall numbers represent an actual uptick in hate incidents or better reporting of them, although Grewal suggests they’re usually underreported.
The report found that more that over 25 percent of bias incidents reported in 2018 were at higher education institutions. Almost half the offenders identified were minors.
The task force, comprised of representatives from law enforcement, education and civil rights agencies, will have six months to offer up recommendations for action.
"We will all be working together and with stakeholders, including from the communities that are most often the victims of bias crimes and incidents because to fight hate in New Jersey, we all need to be in this fight together," Grewal added.