When compiling the facts and figures for this report we would like to extend our thanks to the Metropolitan Police for their statistics and their thoughts.
What is a hate crime?
Hate crimes are any crimes that are targeted at a person because of hostility or prejudice towards that person’s :-
*Disability; *Race or Ethnicity; *Religion or Belief; *Sexual Orientation; *Gender Identity
These crimes can be committed against a person or a property and a victim does not have to be a member of the group at which the hostility is targeted.
Why should I report a crime?
Hate crimes and incidents are hurtful and can be frightening in the extreme. By reporting them you may be part of the process that will begin to start to prevent these crimes in the future. And it will allow the police in your area to better understand the extent of local hate crime .. allowing them to build a wider picture so they can respond better.
The costs of hate crimes
Every year, thousands of people in Britain are affected by hate crime. Nobody should have to live with the fear and anxiety that this crime causes. It can also effect other people in your community, especially if they are seen to be part of the same group in society. As well as the emotional and physical harm, you may suffer serious financial losses.
At its most extreme, you may be made homeless, forced to leave an area or made to feel so unsafe that you choose to move away. Other costs you might have to bear include the cost of repairing damage, dealing with graffiti, replacing possessions and increasing home and personal security.
You may or may not have insurance to cover these but even if you do, there might be costs associated with a no-claims bonus or a policy excess. You may also have to pay for the costs of travelling to medical appointments or court, or simply to protect yourself from future attacks by taking taxis, rather than public transport.
How you can report hate crime
IN AN EMERGENCY; Call 999 – or if you cannot make voice calls, you can now contact the 999 emergency services by SMS text from your mobile phone (you may have to register with emergencySMS first, however .. please see their website for details).
CONTACT THE POLICE; You can speak to them in detail. You do not have to give personal details but this could hamper their efforts in solving the crime if they cannot contact you.
REPORT ONLINE;
SELF-REPORTING FORM; Download the self reporting form and send this to your local police force.
THIRD PARTY REPORTING CENTRES; Local agencies such as Citizens Advice Bureau, Community Voluntary Services etc. can report incidents on your behalf.
Thoughts and statistics from the Metropolitan Police
We asked them for their thoughts and statistics with regard to hate crimes.
“The MPS is committed to tackling hate crime in all its forms. We have worked hard over the past ten years to use our organisational learning to inform our current policies, staff training and operating procedures. We have recently formed a special hate crime senior partnership group which has a focus on creating and delivering an effective hate crime operational strategy for London. This is being developed in partnership with strategic and community partners, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to reducing the harm caused by hate crime and increasing the confidence of victims.
We take positive action to investigate all hate crime, support victims, bring perpetrators to justice and encourage all victims and witnesses to come forward. We are always seeking ways to increase reporting and work with a number of third party reporting sites, so that victims who would otherwise feel unable to approach police direct can report crime to non-police organisations and individuals.”
18 month statistics of DISABILITY hate crime in Metropolitan London
Disability hate crimes reported from January 2016 to June 2017 (per month)
Jan 2016; 16 Feb; 86 Mar; 80 Apr; 66 May; 59 Jun; 54 Jul; 77 Aug; 70 Sep; 85 Oct; 73 Nov; 53 Dec; 37 Yearly Total 756
Jan 2017; 34 Feb; 31 Mar; 28 Apr; 35 May; 39 Jun; 34 6 Monthly Total 201