Location Type
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Reporting agencies may specify the location of an offense within a hate crime incident as one of 25 location designations. Locations (based on Table 10) of the 7,783 hate crime incidents reported in 2008 were as follows:
- 31.9 percent of hate crime incidents occurred in or near residences or homes.
- 17.4 percent took place on highways, roads, alleys, or streets.
- 11.7 percent happened at schools or colleges.
- 6.1 percent took place in parking lots or garages.
- 4.2 percent occurred in churches, synagogues, or temples.
- 2.2 percent took place in restaurants.
- 1.8 percent transpired in bars or nightclubs.
- 11.9 percent occurred in other or unknown locations.
- 12.9 percent happened in the remaining specified location categories
(e.g., air/bus/train terminal, convenience store, service/gas station) or in multiple locations.
Location by bias motivation
Racial bias
Of the 3,992 hate crime incidents motivated by racial bias in 2008 according to law enforcement reports:
- 33.9 percent took place in or near residences or homes.
- 19.1 percent occurred on highways, roads, alleys, or streets.
- 12.5 percent happened at schools or colleges.
- 6.0 percent took place in parking lots or garages.
- 10.2 percent occurred in other or unknown locations.
- 18.3 percent took place in the remaining specified location categories or in multiple locations.
Religious bias
In 2008, 1,519 reported hate crime incidents occurred due to a religious bias. Of these:
- 23.9 percent happened in or near residences or homes.
- 18.8 percent occurred in churches, synagogues, or temples.
- 14.2 percent transpired at schools or colleges.
- 8.1 percent happened on highways, roads, alleys, or streets.
- 18.4 percent took place in other or unknown locations.
- 16.6 percent occurred in the remaining specified location categories or in multiple locations.
Sexual-orientation bias
Law enforcement agencies in 2008 reported 1,297 hate crime incidents based on a bias against a particular sexual orientation. Of these:
- 33.8 percent occurred in or near residences or homes.
- 20.0 percent happened on highways, roads, alleys, or streets.
- 10.3 percent transpired at schools or colleges.
- 9.1 percent occurred in parking lots or garages.
- 10.6 percent took place in other or unknown locations.
- 16.2 percent happened in the remaining specified location categories or in multiple locations.
Ethnicity/national origin bias
Of the 894 hate crime incidents motivated by ethnicity/national origin bias as reported by law enforcement in 2008:
- 32.1 percent occurred in or near residences or homes.
- 22.0 percent took place on highways, roads, alleys, or streets.
- 8.5 percent happened in parking lots or garages.
- 6.5 percent transpired at schools or colleges.
- 9.7 percent happened in other or unknown locations.
- 21.1 percent took place in the remaining specified location categories.
Disability bias
Law enforcement agencies reported that 78 hate crime incidents were motivated by bias against individuals with a disability (either physical or mental) in 2008. Of these:
- 48.7 percent occurred in or near residences or homes.
- 12.8 percent took place on highways, roads, alleys, or streets.
- 19.2 percent happened in other or unknown locations.
- 19.2 percent transpired in the remaining specified location categories.
Multiple-bias incidents
Three multiple-bias hate crime incidents were reported in 2008. Of these:
- 2 took place on highways, roads, alleys, or streets.
- 1 occurred in or near a residence or home.