04/10/2018 - Permalink

National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2018 (13-20 October)

Related topics: Community / Partner organisations / Public protection

Organisations across Shropshire are working together to raise awareness of hate incidents and hate crime as part of the National Hate Crime Awareness Week.

The campaign, which runs from Saturday 13 October – Saturday 20 October 2018, aims to raise awareness of what Hate Crime is, encourage reporting, and promote local support services and resources.

National Hate Crime Awareness Week logo

National Hate Crime Awareness Week

Hate Crime and incidents can take many forms including:

  • Physical attacks – such as a physical assault, on the victim or his/her family or carer, damage to property or pets, offensive graffiti and arson.
  • Threat or attack – including offensive letters, abusive or obscene telephone calls, groups hanging around to intimidate, and unfounded malicious complaints.
  • Verbal abuse or insults – offensive leaflets and posters, abusive gestures, dumping of rubbish outside of homes or through letterboxes, and bullying at school or the workplace. The Hate Crime Reporting Group, which is part of Shropshire’s Community Safety Partnership, works in partnership to try to understand and reduce incidents and crimes, and to make it easier for people to report crimes and incidents when they happen.

Lee Chapman, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for adult services, health and social housing, and Chair of the Hate Crime Reporting Group, said:

“It is vital that we continue to work together to tackle all forms of Hate Crime. People in Shropshire are being insulted, harassed, belittled or attacked because of someone’s hatred of who they are – or who they are thought to be. This is what Hate Crime means: attacking people simply because they are seen as different or ‘other’ or ‘not like us’. Hate Crime Awareness Week is a great opportunity for people to find out more about Hate Crime and to find out how to report it.”

Chief Inspector Sarah Corteen, West Mercia Police, said:

“Promoting the reporting of Hate Crime is not just something we do once a year, it is a 24/7 priority to protect our communities from harm. We know Hate Crime is still under- reported and we continue to look to communities and businesses to take a zero tolerance approach. National Hate Crime Awareness Week gives us a national focus to encourage more victims to come forward.  Police and partners can provide discrete support, restorative conferencing or can support a full prosecution,but we dont want people to accept Hate Crime or suffer in silence. Our plea is that we won’t tolerate Hate Crime, and neither should you.”

If you are a victim of Hate Crime, or a witness to a Hate Crime or hate incident, you can report it by calling West Mercia Police on 101 or Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 or going online at https://shropshire.gov.uk/crime-and-criminal-justice/report-a-hate-crime/