Posted on 19th June 2012
A campaign has been launched in south Derbyshire to encourage victims of racially motivated hate crimes to come forward.
There were 25 recorded incidents of hate crime in the district in 2011-2012 and police and partners are concerned that this may be because victims do not feel confident enough to report incidents.
Derbyshire police, the Safer South Derbyshire Partnership and South Derbyshire District Council and have joined forces to raise awareness of hate crime and reassure victims that support is available to them.
Private hire businesses, off-licences and food outlets will be visited as part of the initiative and posters and tax discs containing useful information and contact numbers have been distributed. Expert officers are heading to various establishments to raise awareness of the complaint process.
Detective Inspector Emlyn Richards said: “The aim of this campaign is to increase confidence in victims and encourage them to come forward.
“Hate crime should not be tolerated and I will be visiting taxi drivers to explain to them what support and help we can offer them and how their case will progress through the legal process.”
Chris Smith, Safer Communities Manager for the Safer South Derbyshire Partnership, said: “All of the partners treat every incident of hate crime very seriously. No incident is too trivial and will be investigated thoroughly.”
Hate crime can be committed against a person or a property and stems from prejudice or hostility towards the victim’s disability, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, transgender identity or age.
Incidents should be reported by calling the police on 101, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
It is recognised that not everyone wants, or is able, to report hate crimes directly to the police. Therefore support can be accessed through Stop Hate UK, which operates a 24-hour free phone service for victims and witnesses. Stop Hate UK can be contacted on 0800 138 1625.