NYPD, in Change, Will Only Report ‘Confirmed’ Hate Crimes Amid Historic Spike in Antisemitic Incidents

The New York City Police Department has updated its methodology once used for reporting hate crimes, a decision that comes after anti-Jewish hate crimes in the city surged by 182 percent in January during New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s first month in office. The NYPD said it will now report hate crimes that have been investigated and confirmed, instead of alleged incidents still under review, which it said would “provide a more accurate representation of confirmed hate crimes in the city.”However, a John Jay College professor, Frank Pezzella, said in an interview with Gothamist that the NYPD’s new methodology risked painting an inaccurate picture of hate-crime statistics in the city.“It would be erroneous to consider that’s a drop in hate crimes,” Mr. Pezzella told Gothamist. Left-wing activists stand off with New York Police Department officers at a protest organized by right-wing influencer Jake Lang on March 7, 2026 in New York City. Lang is facing misdemeanor charges in D.C. Superior Court for making threatening statements to a police officer. Ryan Murphy/Getty ImagesIn January, the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force announced there was a 152 percent increase in reported bias-related incidents from the year prior. But the 31 reported anti-Jewish hate crimes accounted for more than half of the 58 hate-crime incidents reported that month. In 2025, antisemitic incidents represented 57 percent of all hate crimes reported in New York City, despite Jewish New Yorkers accounting for roughly 10 percent of the city’s population.Mr. Pezzella and two other scholars instead suggested that the NYPD publicly disclose both the number of reported hate crimes and the number confirmed by the department. A spokesman for Mr. Mamdani told Gothamist that his office was not involved in the NYPD’s decision to modify how it reports hate crimes.Meanwhile, Mr. Mamdani, who has refused to recognize Israel’s right to exist, was called out by ex-FBI special agent James Gagliano for “sending such an awful, awful message” to rank and file NYPD cops for inviting a prominent anti-Israel activist, Mahmoud Khalil, and his family to dinner at Gracie Mansion over the 46-year-old NYPD chief who chased down the ISIS-inspired terror suspect after he threw an improvised explosive device during a protest on Saturday. Emir Balat is arrested after throwing a hand-made smoke grenade at right-wing activist Jake Lang and his supporters on March 7, 2026 in New York City. Ryan Murphy/Getty Images“The men and women of the NYPD will do the right thing, they’re going to enforce the laws, they’re going to show up for work,” Mr. Gagliano told Fox News on Wednesday. “But they understand that (Mamdani)… does not have their back.” But on Monday, Mr. Mamdani commended NYPD Manhattan Borough Chief Aaron Edwards and Sgt. Luis Navarro for facing “a chaotic situation that very quickly could’ve become far more dangerous” when the former was seen hopping a barricade and rushing toward Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, after the men allegedly lit homemade bombs in an ISIS-inspired attack. Law enforcement officials say they believe the two men were aiming their bombs at a small group of protesters, led by pardoned January 6 protester Jake Lang, who were demonstrating outside Gracie Mansion against what Mr. Lang called “the Islamic takeover of New York City.” “It was just instinct. I’m trying to get the bad guy,” Mr. Edwards said Wednesday of his heroic act. Pardoned January 6 protester Jake Lang carries a goat during a protest organized by the influencer on March 7, 2026 in New York City. Lang is facing misdemeanor charges in D.C. Superior Court for making threatening statements to a police officer. Ryan Murphy/Getty ImagesHe added that he hoped the picture of him jumping over the barrier, which made him a social media sensation practically overnight, would serve as a “reminder to New Yorkers” that the NYPD was going to be “relentless in pursuing justice.”“Nothing’s going to stand in our way from protecting New Yorkers,” Mr. Edwards said.

NYPD, in Change, Will Only Report ‘Confirmed’ Hate Crimes Amid Historic Spike in Antisemitic Incidents

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