Queensland Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Keiryn Dermody says hate crimes have risen as much as 30 per cent in Queensland in the last five years.
Dermody’s claim was part of his evidence at a parliamentary committee hearing investigating the need for stronger responses to hate and vilification crimes.
While he said the sharp rise in racial violence was in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dermody affirmed that “ideologically and religiously motivated violent extremism presents a growing threat to the safety of the community.”