According to new D.C. Police data [PDF], there has been a total of 36 hate crimes committed in the District  as of September 30. That’s about the same for 2008 and 2007’s totals of 38.

By far, the majority of hate crimes have revolved around sexual orientation. As of Sept. 30, there have been 31 such crimes reported. There could be many more. As WTOP’s Mark Segraves pointed out on his must-listen Ask The Chief segment, sometimes officers do not report hate crimes as hate crimes. [In a recent hate-crime incident I did some reporting on, D.C. cops did not report it as a hate crime].

On the WTOP segment, Police Chief Cathy Lanier did admit that since the report was issued, sexual-orientation based hate crimes have jumped to 35.

Numbers can be debated. But one number can not: the rise in sexual orientation hate crimes in Wards 7 and 8 [police districts 6 and 7].

In 2008, 13 percent of sexual orientation hate crimes took place in these wards. So far in 2009, the number jumped to 32 percent.

On a side note, only two councilmembers—-Yvette Alexander and Marion Barry—-voted against the gay marriage bill. Who do they represent? Wards 7 and 8.

*photo by Darrow Montgomery.