SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - The FBI says the number of hate crimes reported to police in Utah increased in 2011 compared with the previous year.
FBI officials say 68 hate crimes were reported in Utah last year, when 125 agencies participated in the hate crime reporting program. That's up from 63 in 2010, when one fewer agency participated.
Statistics show 29 of the alleged crimes were motivated by race bias, while 16 were motivated by a religion bias and 14 were motivated by a sexual orientation bias. Another eight were motivated by ethnicity or national origin, and one was based on disability.
The FBI has been collecting information on hate crimes for more than two decades. Law enforcement agencies reported 6,222 hate crimes nationwide last year, down from a peak of 9,730 in 2001.
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