Disability hate crime in the spotlight

North Yorkshire Police supported Mencap's Learning Disability Week as part of the ongoing effort to raise awareness about disability-related hate crime.

Staged last week, the national event continued the extensive work achieved as a result of the charity's 'Stand by me' campaign launched in June 2011.

Assistant Chief Constable Iain Spittal said:
"North Yorkshire Police is wholly committed to tackling disability hate crime and we are working hard to establish stronger relationships with disability groups and our partner agencies to ensure we are delivering the best possible police service to our communities in North Yorkshire and the City of York.

"Over the last year, we have fully embraced the Mencap 'Stand by me' campaign and have organised various successful events working with Mencap to better understand the impact of disability hate crime on individuals and their families, and to establish how we, as a force, can better support people with a learning disability.

"By working together, we can help put a stop to hate crime and encourage people to be confident in reporting disability-related hate crime to North Yorkshire Police."

For more information about hate crime and how to report incidents, please go to the Hate crime section of our website.

For further details about Mencap's Learning Disability Week visit the Mencap website.

Photographs:  

• (smaller images) North Yorkshire Police supports the Mencap "Stand by me" disability hate crime campaign.
• (large image) Assistant Chief Constable Iain Spittal, of North Yorkshire Police (on the right), with Mencap staff, members and police staff at a recent disability hate crime event at Headquarters.

25 June 2012