ADL Request to Law Enforcement for Information on 2024 Antisemitic Incidents
ADL (Anti-Defamation League) is asking law enforcement agencies to share information on any antisemitic incidents (both criminal and non-criminal) that took place in your jurisdiction in 2024, so that we may include them in ADL’s annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents. We ask that this information be sent to us by no later than Friday, January 31, 2025. More than 200 law enforcement agencies, including some of the nation’s largest police departments, have shared incident information with us for our annual Audits, and we are trying to continue to increase participation in this process.
The ADL Audit includes incidents of assault, harassment and vandalism against Jews or Jewish property. It includes both criminal and non-criminal acts of harassment and intimidation, including distribution of anti-Jewish hate propaganda, threats and slurs.
For each antisemitic incident, we are looking for the following:
- Date of the incident
- Location of the incident (e.g. synagogue, residence, online, etc., and a zip code, if at all possible)
- Description of the incident (including what happened and any antisemitic indicators, such as “a swastika was spray-painted on a road sign” or “a suspect yelled ‘Heil Hitler’ at a Jewish victim”)
- Anything additional you can share about law enforcement’s response or how the incident was resolved
If you are unable to provide certain details, please feel free to omit information and just share what you can. We will not publish any personal information about individuals involved. We may occasionally use the name of the offender, but only after that information has been widely reported.
Antisemitic incidents are defined as vandalism of property, or as harassment or assault on individuals or groups, where either 1) circumstances indicate anti-Jewish animus on the part of the perpetrator, or 2) a reasonable person could plausibly conclude that they were being victimized due to their Jewish identity. Vandalism against Jewish religious institutions or cemeteries may also be included. The appearance of swastikas, which are generally interpreted by Jews to be symbols of antisemitic hatred, are also included.
It’s important to note that not all incidents are criminal. Both criminal and noncriminal acts of antisemitism impact individuals and communities. Tracking both allows us to identify trends over time and helps inform our approach to countering antisemitism.
Compiled using information provided by victims, community leaders, and law enforcement, and evaluated by ADL’s professional staff, the Audit provides a regular snapshot of one specific aspect of a nationwide problem while identifying possible trends or changes in the types of activity reported. This information assists ADL in developing and enhancing its programs to counter and prevent the spread of antisemitism and other forms of bigotry. The Audit has existed since 1979, and has bipartisan support. The full dataset for the Audit and other ADL reports can be found on the ADL H.E.A.T. Map on our website.
Incident information may be shared with us at LEResources@adl.org or with your local ADL Regional Office.
We appreciate your assistance in making sure our Audit is as comprehensive as possible, and thank you in advance for helping us with this important endeavor.