Brooklyn DA Creates Hate Crimes Unit

The Wall Street Journal reports hate crimes in Brooklyn have seen a dramatic spike so far this year. Between January and September, 95 hate crimes were reported in the borough, representing a 30-percent increase over last year.

In response, Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson has created a dedicated hate crimes unit to investigate such incidents.

"The types of people being targeted predominantly in the Brooklyn area appear to include those of the Jewish faith and Islamic faith but a large proportion of the attacks in recent years have also been targeting the African-American community as well," said Wall Street Journal reporter Yoni Bashan.

The unit will initially be comprised of 5 prosecutors and headed by Brooklyn's civil rights bureau chief.