Hate incidents and crime

It is a human right to be safe and secure and to live free from fear or harassment. Hate incidents and crime are based on ignorance, prejudice, discrimination and hate and have no place in our society.

What is a hate crime?

A hate crime can take many forms including:

Physical attacks - such as physical assault, damage to property, offensive graffiti, neighbourhood disputes and arson.

Threat of attack - including offensive letters, abusive or obscene telephone calls, groups hanging around to intimidate and unfounded malicious complaints

Verbal abuse or insults - including offensive letters and posters, abusive gestures, and bullying at school or in the workplace.

Any information you give us is valuable, it enables us to identify areas of concern, patterns of behaviour and could lead to the prosecution of offenders.

A hate crime is any criminal offence committed against a person or property that is motivated by an offenders hatred of someone because of their:

  • Race, colour, origin, nationality or national origins
  • Religion
  • Gender or gender identity
  • Sexual orientation
  • Disability

How do I report a hate crime?

If you have been a victim or witness to a hate crime there are several ways you can report this:-

Emergency
Call 999 if:

  • The crime is happening now.
  • The offender is still there or nearby.
  • Evidence has been left at the scene.
  • Vulnerable, elderly or young victims are involved.
  • The crime is of a violent or sexual nature. 

We provide an interpreter service for those who may have difficulty speaking or understanding English. When you call say which language you speak and we will connect to a translation service.

Non-emergency

Even if you wish to remain anonymous the information you provide may be vital in helping us catch and bring to justice the people who commit these crimes.