Hate crimes are any crimes targeted at a person because of hostility or prejudice. These might be due to disability, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender identity.
Hate crimes can be committed against a person or property and 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. Anyone could be a victim of a hate crime even if they aren’t a member of the group that the hostility is targeted at.
The Safer Wolverhampton Partnership is calling on people to help raise awareness of the city’s zero tolerance to hate crime and celebrate Wolverhampton's cohesive and diverse communities during Hate Crime Awareness Week, which runs until 21 October, and be aware of the ways that victims of, or witnesses to, an incident can report hate crime. People can:
- Call police on 101 – or dial 999 or 112 if it is an emergency.
- Contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via Crimestoppers.
- Report in person to the police at any police station or one of the Police Hate Crime drop ins – see Stop Hate WLV 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 Stop Hate WLV for full details.
- Visit Stop Hate Crime 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 TellMAMA or calling on 0800 456 1226.
- If the incident is anti-Semitic, it can be reported via Community Security Trust’s website, or by calling 0208 457 9999.
People can find out more about hate crime, where and how to report it, and share their experiences, at information events at the Civic Centre, St Peter's Square, on Monday (16 October) from 10am to 2pm and K Teas Cakes, St George’s Parade, Wolverhampton, on Thursday 19 October from 10am to 2pm, and at a Walk and Talk in West Park on Friday 20 October – meet at the bandstand at 12.30pm.
Meanwhile, members of the Safer Wolverhampton Partnership will also be visiting community groups and places of workshops throughout the week.
Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing, said: “The Safer Wolverhampton Partnership takes hate crime incredibly seriously, and all reports will be fully investigated by police.
“During Hate Crime Awareness Week, we are sending out the strong message that hate crime is not tolerated in Wolverhampton, that victims must not suffer in silence and that there are plenty of ways that local people can get involved.
“Most importantly, we would encourage anyone who has either been the victim of hate crime, or has witnessed an incident of hate crime, to speak out and get help and support.”
People can find out more about hate crime by logging on to Stop Hate WLV. For details of National Hate Crime Awareness week, please visit National Hate Crime Awareness Week.
