Crimes Against Asian-American Business Owners In NJ Have Spiked: FBI

NEW JERSEY — An eight-member crime ring targeted homeowners of Asian descent and burglarized more than 50 homes throughout the region, federal authorities in New Jersey said last year. Another burglary crew used similar tactics to steal money, jewelry and designer clothing about a year earlier, according to court documents.

The FBI's Newark Field Office recently sent out a warning of a growing trend: sophisticated criminal groups have increasingly targeted Asian-American business owners in New Jersey for burglaries. The crews will surveil them, wait until they go to work and then burglarize their homes, according to the agency.

The criminals operate based on a stereotype that the victims keep cash and other valuables in their homes. FBI-Newark believes that numerous criminal groups have done this, rather than one particular enterprise.

The FBI didn't have precise data on the prevalence of these crimes, as the agency's crime statistics don't specify the ethnicity of burglary victims. But the Newark office knows from local police reports that there's been a rise in these incidents in the last three years, according to a spokesperson for the office.

Asian-Americans in New Jersey should stay aware of their surroundings and try to determine if they're being followed, FBI-Newark warned.

In the past three years, New Jersey has seen a steady increase in reported hate crimes with respect to race — including a surge in reported anti-Asian crimes — and religion. In 2019, state authorities reported 39 anti-Asian incidents. The figure rose to 69 in 2020 and 129 last year.

State authorities tallied 55 anti-Asian incidents in the first five months of this year.

New Jersey reported a record-high 1,871 bias incidents last year. The state Office of the Attorney General attributes the number to improvements in community outreach and reporting hate crimes. But state officials say several developments around the nation have left marginalized people more vulnerable, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and backlash against the Black Lives Matter protest movement that grew in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.

"Our commitment to protecting New Jersey residents from acts of hate and bias remains unshakeable," Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said in April. "New Jersey has been a nationwide leader in taking comprehensive steps to prevent and combat prejudice and hate, but this year’s record-high number of reported bias incidents should serve as a reminder that we still have plenty of work to do."