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Home • Hate Crime • 2012 • Topic Pages • Location Type

Location Type

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Agencies may specify the location of an offense within a hate crime incident as one of 44 location designations. However, not all reporting agencies have made the programming change to allow these additional locations designations; therefore, the data collected to date are not yet representative of all location designations. The location designations of the hate crime incidents reported in 2012 (based on Table 10) were:

  • 32.6 percent of hate crime incidents occurred in or near residences or homes.
  • 18.3 percent took place on highways, roads, alleys, or streets.
  • 8.3 percent happened at schools or colleges (based on three designations).
  • 5.7 percent took place in parking/drop lots/garages.
  • 4.1 percent occurred in churches, synagogues, or temples.
  • 1.8 percent transpired in bars or nightclubs.
  • 1.8 percent took place in restaurants.
  • 1.6 percent occurred in commercial office buildings.
  • 1.3 percent happened in air/bus/train terminals.
  • 1.2 percent occurred in convenience stores.
  • 10.5 percent happened in the remaining specified location categories or in multiple locations.
  • 12.8 percent occurred in other/unknown locations.

Location by bias motivation

Racial bias

Law enforcement reported 2,797 hate crime incidents motivated by racial bias in 2012. Of these:

  • 35.0 percent took place in or near residences or homes.
  • 19.9 percent occurred on highways, roads, alleys, or streets.
  • 9.0 percent happened at schools or colleges (based on three designations).
  • 6.8 percent took place in parking/drop lots/garages.
  • 1.9 percent occurred in restaurants.
  • 1.7 percent occurred in government/public buildings.
  • 1.6 percent occurred in bars/nightclubs.
  • 1.4 percent occurred in commercial office buildings.
  • 1.4 percent happened in air/bus/train terminals.
  • 12.6 percent took place in the remaining specified location categories or in multiple locations.
  • 8.7 percent occurred in other/unknown locations.

Religious bias

Of the 1,099 reported hate crime incidents that occurred due to a religious bias:

  • 26.7 percent happened in or near residences or homes.
  • 18.2 percent occurred in churches, synagogues, or temples.
  • 7.4 percent transpired at schools or colleges (based on three designations).
  • 7.1 percent took place on highways, roads, alleys, or streets.
  • 2.2 percent occurred in parking/drop lots/garages.
  • 1.3 percent took place in commercial office buildings.
  • 10.6 percent occurred in the remaining specified location categories or in multiple locations.
  • 26.7 percent took place in other/unknown locations.

Sexual-orientation bias

Law enforcement reported that bias motivation against a particular sexual orientation prompted 1,135 hate crime incidents in 2012. Of these:

  • 31.3 percent occurred in or near residences or homes.
  • 23.6 percent happened on highways, roads, alleys, or streets.
  • 8.6 percent transpired at schools or colleges (based on three designations).
  • 5.9 percent occurred in parking/drop lots/garages.
  • 3.6 percent took place in bars or nightclubs.
  • 2.5 percent took place in commercial office buildings.
  • 12.8 percent happened in the remaining specified location categories or in multiple locations.
  • 11.7 percent took place in other/unknown locations.

Ethnicity/national origin bias

Of the 667 hate crime incidents motivated by ethnicity/national origin bias as reported by law enforcement in 2012:

  • 31.9 percent occurred in or near residences or homes.
  • 21.0 percent took place on highways, roads, alleys, or streets.
  • 7.3 percent transpired at schools or colleges (based on three designations).
  • 6.9 percent happened in parking/drop lots/garages.
  • 2.1 percent took place in restaurants.
  • 2.1 percent happened in bars or nightclubs.
  • 2.1 percent took place in convenience stores.
  • 1.9 percent occurred in commercial office buildings.
  • 14.4 percent took place in the remaining specified location categories.
  • 10.2 percent happened in other/unknown locations.

Disability bias

Bias against individuals with a disability (either physical or mental) motivated 92 hate reported crime incidents in 2012. Of these:

  • 48.9 percent occurred in or near residences or homes.
  • 16.3 percent took place on highways, roads, alleys, or streets.
  • 5.4 percent occurred at air/bus/train terminals.
  • 4.3 percent happened in schools/colleges (based on three designations).
  • 3.3 percent took place at bars or nightclubs.
  • 2.2 percent occurred at department or discount stores.
  • 2.2 percent happened in fields/woods.
  • 2.2 percent took place at parking/drop lot/garages.
  • 8.7 percent transpired in the remaining specified location categories.
  • 6.5 percent happened in other/unknown locations.

Multiple-bias incidents

Six multiple-bias hate crime incidents were reported in 2012. Of these:

  • 3 occurred in or near residences or homes.
  • 1 happened on a highway, road, alley, street, or sidewalk.
  • 1 occurred in a drug store or doctor’s office/hospital.
  • 1 took place in a church, synagogue, temple, or mosque.