Hate crime is any criminal offence committed against a person or property which is motivated by an offender's hatred of someone because of their race, colour, ethnic origin or nationality, their religion, their gender or gender identity, their sexual orientation or their disability.
It can take many forms, from physical attacks such as an assault, damage to property, offensive graffiti and arson, to verbal abuse or insults or the threat of attack, including the sending of offensive letters, emails or texts, abusive or obscene telephone calls or malicious complaints.
There are a number of ways that victims of, or witnesses to, an incident can report hate crime:
- Call police on 101 - or dial 999 or 112 if it is an emergency
- Contact CrimeStoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via Type=links;Linkid=1665;Title=CrimeStoppers;Target=_blank;
- Report in person to the police at any police station or one of the Police Hate Crime drop-ins - see Type=articles;Articleid=10259;Title=Hate Crime; for full details
- Report at any Third Party Reporting Centre - independent organisations that have been trained to record hate crimes and incidents, offer support and signpost to other help. See Type=articles;Articleid=10259;Title=Hate Crime; for full details
- Visit Type=links;Linkid=7592;Title=True Vision;Target=_blank; and fill in the online reporting form which will be forwarded to police for investigation
- If an incident occurs on a train or the Midland Metro, text British Transport Police on 61016
- If the incident is Islamophobic in nature, Tell MAMA by visiting Type=links;Linkid=7593;Title=Tell MAMA;Target=_blank; or calling on 0800 456 1226
- If the incident is anti-Semitic, it can be reported via Community Security Trust's Type=links;Linkid=7594;Title=website;Target=_blank; or by calling 0208 457 9999.
Councillor Hazel Malcolm, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: "The Safer Wolverhampton Partnership and West Midlands Police take hate crime incredibly seriously, and all reports will be fully investigated by police.
"During Hate Crime Awareness Week we will be sending out the strong message that hate crime is not tolerated in Wolverhampton and that victims must not suffer in silence. I would encourage anyone who has either been the victim of hate crime, or has witnessed an incident of hate crime, to contact the authorities."
People can find out more about hate crime by logging on to Type=articles;Articleid=10259;Title=Hate Crime;, or visiting the Stop Hate stall in the Wulfrun Centre, near Coventry Building Society, from Monday to Thursday between 12pm to 2pm and Friday from 10am to 5pm.
National Hate Crime Awareness Week takes place from 13 October to 20 October, 2018. For more information, please visit Type=links;Linkid=7595;Title=Stop Hate UK;Target=_blank;. During the week, please use the hashtag #stophateWV on Twitter.
- released: Friday 12 October, 2018