Hate crimes were down in Los Angeles County in 2009 compared with the year before, but such crimes against Jews spiked almost 50%, according to a report released Tuesday.

Last year, there were 580 hate crimes, which can range from vandalism to violence, compared with 730 in 2008, according to the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations.

The improved outlook came despite less rosy data on treatment of the county’s Jewish population: almost 120 hate crimes targeted Jews in 2009, compared with fewer than 80 in 2008.

At least one Jewish group was not alarmed by the data. A statement from the Anti-Defamation League attributed the rise, at least partially, to a spate of “relatively minor” graffiti incidents, many of them perpetrated by serial vandals.

Organization officials pointed to a series of incidents in the Fairfax area in which the word “Jew” or some variance was sprayed onto a number of buildings and trash cans.

(Read More: LA Times)