Hate crimes are crimes committed with a bias against a person’s or group’s perceived or actual characteristics, including race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. Last year, about 60 percent of hate crimes recorded in Indiana were based on race, ethnicity, or ancestry — the same percentage as 2023. But hate crimes in this bias category have been trending downward statewide since at least 2020, when they accounted for 67% of all incidents. “So we will never know 100% — with 100% accuracy — how many actual hate crimes are occurring.”Her research on hate crimes examined media coverage, fictional representation, and motivation, finding that a lot of representation focused on the victim but didn’t delve into the suspect’s motivation. Despite the underreporting problems, the FBI has collected and shared criminal justice data since 1930.