According to preliminary data, at least 2,178 bias incidents were reported to law enforcement agencies throughout New Jersey in 2022, New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said on Monday.

The preliminary total number of bias incidents reported for 2022 represents a 16% increase from the 1,871 bias incidents reported for 2021 – which was also a new record-high.

But even with this preliminary data, the overall number of bias incidents reported in 2022 represents the highest annual number of bias incidents reported since the State began tracking them in 1994.

Platkin revealed the numbers, which he stressed were preliminary, during a hearing before the Assembly Budget Committee Monday morning.

Asked by Assemblyman Raj Mukherji about the dramatic increase in reported bias incidents in recent years, Platkin noted that the rise is likely due in part t to several statewide improvements in reporting.

“Some portion of the increase is due to the work that we’ve done, both through my office, with the Division of Civil Rights, their outreach, and through the Division of Criminal Justice,” Platkin said.

“And we are reaching thousands of people a year, in training them on how to make these reports. So in a number of communities, we’re seeing significant increases in confidence in making these reports – and folks should have confidence.

“New Jersey has made a concerted effort over recent years to encourage people to feel comfortable reporting bias incidents to law enforcement, to make it easier to file a report, and to ensure that law enforcement agencies respond appropriately to all such reports,” Platkin added.

A full breakdown on the identity of the victims has not yet been released but should be expected in the next few weeks.

In recent years, anti-Black and anti-Jewish bias were the most common race- and religion-based motivations for reported bias incidents.

Anti-Black bias was cited as a motivation for 686 reported bias incidents in 2020 and 877 reported bias incidents in 2021 – representing 39% of all reported motivations in both years.

Anti-Jewish bias was cited as a motivation for 298 reported bias incidents in 2020 and 347 reported bias incidents in 2021 – representing 17% of all reported motivations in 2020 and 15% of all reported motivations in 2021.