Hate crime

A hate crime is any behaviour that someone thinks was caused by hostility, prejudice or hatred of their:

• disability, including physical impairments, mental health problems, learning disabilities, hearing and visual impairments
• gender identity (people who are transgender, transsexual or transvestite)
• race, skin colour, nationality, ethnicity or heritage
• religion, faith or belief, including people without a religious belief
• sexual orientation (people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or heterosexual etc.).
• lifestyle and dress i.e. such as an alternative sub-culture

Anyone can be a victim of hate crime if they are targeted because of who they are, their friends or family or even who the perpetrator thinks they are.

By reporting hate crime, you can get the support you may need and help ensure offenders are brought to justice and can’t do the same to other people.

By reporting incidents, you’ll enable organisations like the police, local councils and housing associations to build up patterns of behaviour locally and highlight areas of concern within your community.

By reporting what’s happened to you, you may also prevent these incidents from happening to someone else.

• In an emergency please call 999
• You can report hate crime to your local police force either by telephone or by visiting any police station
• In some areas you can also report hate crime online via Stop Hate UK www.stophateuk.org
• If you don’t want to talk to the police or fill in the reporting forms, you can report a hate crime by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or www.crimestoppers-uk.org. You don’t have to give your name and it’s free to call. What you say is confidential but it’s difficult to fully investigate and act on an incident without your details.

This is a criminal offence, and you need to report this to the Police immediately, you must also let them know if you are concerned about your safety, or that of others.

Once it has been reported to the police and other agencies above, please also contact us highlighting the details of the incident, the police incident number and officer’s name. We will then make a decision whether action can be taken by us.

If the behaviour has been ongoing, please complete our evidence sheets including dates and times of the incidents and send these to us. You can do this by hand or by post, but it may be quicker to do this electronically and attach them when completing the online ASB Reporting Form on MyAccount.

For more guidance on antisocial behaviour and how we can support you, visit our ASB information page

You can also read our policies here:

• ASB/Hate Crime Policy

You can also get independent advice and support from organisations who specialise in hate crime and community safety:

• Stop Hate UK – www.stophateuk.org

• Crimestoppers – www.crimestoppers-uk.org / 0800 555 111

• Victim Support – www.victimsupport.org.uk

• True Vision (Police hate crime reporting) – www.report-it.org.uk

• Local authority community safety teams – check your council website for details