Vandalism jumps in 2005

A rise in reports of graffiti vandalism in Huntington Beach may have contributed to an increase in the number of hate crimes and incidents the city reported for 2005, according to Huntington Beach Police.

More than half of the 34 reports of hate crimes and incidents taken by police last year were labeled vandalism. Six of the 15 hate reports in 2004 were vandalisms.

“I think we’ve seen an increase in reporting, and some of it can be explained by types of certain incidents ? a string of vandalisms that technically met the criteria under the expanded reporting guidelines,” said the Huntington Beach Human Relations Task Force chair Alan Chancellor. “But in fact ? and there was some hate there ? but it appears to really grow out of animosity or rivalry between groups.”

In 2005, Huntington Beach had a total of 19 hate-related acts of vandalism, three letters, three threats and nine assaults. Six of those cases of vandalism were determined to be connected and appeared to target homosexuals and Jewish people, said Huntington Beach Police Sgt. Dave Dierking, who leads the department’s crimes against persons unit.

“When you look at some of these incidents, the watch commanders and officers ? we were always erring on the side of caution and taking something as a hate crime,” Dierking said. “However, what type of crime doesn’t have hate in it?”

The district attorney’s office filed charges in one of the assault cases ? in which a white man is accused of attacking black security guard with a box cutter ? alleging it was a hate crime. The case is pending.

The Orange County Human Relations Commission’s recently released annual Hate Crimes and Incidents Report for 2005 concluded that combined county numbers were unchanged from 2004 to 2005.

The report outlines separate reports ? hate crimes and incidents. According to the commission, a hate crime is a criminal act motivated by the victim’s gender, disability, nationality, race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. A hate incident reports an act that is motivated by hate, but is protected by the 1st Amendment.

Huntington Beach’s 34 hate-related reports represent about 22% of all hate crimes and incidents reported in Orange County. The commission and Huntington Beach Police are quick to mention that different jurisdictions have varying reporting methods, so it’s not necessarily fair to compare one city with another.

“Huntington Beach is very diligent about reporting hate crimes,” said James Armendaris, Orange County Human Relations Commissions’ senior human relations specialist. “Initially it might appear Huntington Beach has a high ratio compared to other cities, but that’s really a tribute to the police department and how seriously that take it.”

The commission gathers data from all Orange County law enforcement agencies to produce its report, which assists in educating local police about incidents in the area, according to the report. Armendaris called Huntington Beach a model for other cities in its reporting because the department reports potential hate crimes to the commission the day of, or the day after, the incident.

In its history, Huntington Beach has had a negative reputation in terms of racism and racist groups, according to police and city officials.

“We have a reputation that isn’t deserved,” Dierking said. “Are there skinheads in Huntington Beach? Absolutely. Are there skinheads in Costa Mesa? Absolutely. There’s hate and gangs everywhere.”

Sources of the reputation stem from crimes committed by white supremacist gangs from the 1980s to the mid-1990s, including the stabbing of American Indian George Mondragon by then Huntington Beach resident Erik Roy Anderson in 1996. Anderson plead guilty and was sentenced to 16 months in prison.

The numbers of hate crimes and incidents for 2006 shows that Huntington Beach continues to move in a positive direction, Dierking said. So far, the department has reported six hate crimes.

“We’re very aggressive and we take it seriously,” Dierking said about his reporting methods. “There’s been an established human relations committee specific to Huntington Beach that meets once a month ? and review all hate crimes and hate incidents to offer support and come up with any type of strategy” to combat problems.

The Huntington Beach Human Relations Task Force, partnered with the City Council and the police department, meets once a month to review reports of hate crimes and try to combat it with programs that advocate cultural diversity and tolerance in the city, including programs for middle and high school students. The group was started by then-City Council members Shirley Detloff and Ralph Bauer in 1996.

“We’ve just had tremendous support from the Council and the mayor and city administrator,” Chancellor said. “I’m very, very confident things will continue looking better and better in Huntington Beach.”

The task force also works with victims to help them find whatever help they need.

“We’ll seek to work with the victim if they were interested in needing some service, we would attempt to try and connect them,” said the task force’s city liaison Elaine Kuhnke. “We want people to know the city does not tolerate those kinds of actions.”

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