By Tony McVeigh
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Frankfort, KY – Hate crimes in Kentucky declined in 2007, but the number of active hate groups in the commonwealth slightly increased.
Kentucky State Police reported 56 incidents of hate crime in 2007, down 13% from 2006. But Jennifer Brislin of the Justice Cabinet says the number of hate groups in Kentucky rose from 11 to 13. "Groups that associate themselves for some purpose, some bias, against a person or property that's motivated by their bias against race, religion, a disability, their sexual orientation, maybe their ethnicity, or their nationality."
Race was the most common motivation for Kentucky hate crimes in the annual report by the Kentucky Statistical Analysis Center. Sexual orientation was second. Of all the hate crimes reported in Kentucky, 54% involved intimidation and 27% involved destruction, damage or vandalism.