(Image source from: Fox 5 DC)

In Virginia, the hate crimes in 2017 is surging to nearly 50 per cent over previous year, according to new data released by police.

In the annual crime report of Virginia, the state police said there were 202 hate crimes reported in 2017 compared to 137 in 2016.

The advanced number of crimes were against African-Americans. There were 22 anti-Jewish crimes, 11 anti-White crimes, 10 anti-Hispanic crimes and eight anti-Muslim crimes.

Jeff Dannick, executive director of the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia (JCCNV) said these kind of crimes leave a lasting impact and he is not surprised by the numbers.

JCCNV was covered with swastikas and Nazi propaganda on the initial day of passover earlier this year targeting the nearby church as well.

"It seems to me that we have become more and more divided as a country," Dannick said. "More and more, we are in our own corners and in our own factions looking at our friends and neighbors as 'others.' And as much as there is an uptick in that, there is also an uptick in the opposite of people coming together. And that is really what we felt a year ago when this happened to us is that the community, not just the Jewish community, but the entire community really came to our side and really rallied with us."

Similar was the situation after an African-American church was vandalized in Dumfries and the congregation saw an outpouring assist after racist and anti-semitic vandalism.

In both the suits, the suspect was apprehended and charged.

As Virginia saw a significant rise in hate crimes in 2017, past data shows that the hate crimes were even higher in years preceding to 2009, with reports topping 300.

By Sowmya Sangam