A guide to hate crime

Transcription

1 A guide to hate crime FAT1500_NottPolice_hate_A4_v4 101.indd 1 08/07/ :09

2 Our commitment to tackling hate crime Nottinghamshire Police is dedicated to tackling hate crime. This booklet contains information about the service and support we will offer you as an individual who has experienced hate crime. Inside you will find out about ways to report hate crime, and information on what you can expect from the police. You will also find out how you can help us identify anyone who commits these crimes. We have included details of organisations that can provide you with help and support, and a diary section so you can keep a detailed record of any incidents and the way they have affected you. There is also a survey so you can tell us about any other concerns you may have about your neighbourhood. Easy read guide to hate crime Nottinghamshire Police has produced an easyread guide to hate crime. If you want a copy of this please speak to the officer investigating this crime. You will also find the easy-read guide on our website at You can also find out about your local police or crime in your area here. Essential information Crime reference number: Investigating Officer: Contact number: Beat Manager: Contact number: 2 A guide to hate crime FAT1500_NottPolice_hate_A4_v4 101.indd 2 08/07/ :09

3 What is hate crime? Nottinghamshire Police describes hate crime as any incident, which may or may not constitute a criminal offence, which is perceived by the victim or any other person, as being motivated by prejudice or hate. Hate crime can take many forms, but it is most commonly seen in a person s direct actions toward others. They might act differently due to racism, homophobia, transphobia or on the grounds of someone s disability or their religion or belief. This may seem a bit complicated, but all it really means is if you, or anybody else thinks something has happened because of prejudice then we will treat it as a hate crime. Some forms of prejudice, such as verbal abuse, insults and threats are obvious to everyone. Other forms may be less obvious, for example damage to your property, children being bullied at school, malicious complaints or anti-social behaviour directed at a person. Obvious or not, this may cause feelings of anger, frustration, isolation, helplessness and fear. If you are a victim, it is important to know you are not alone and that help is available. The police take hate crime seriously and will support you. We work in partnership with a number of other agencies, both within the criminal justice system and externally. With your consent and where appropriate, we will seek to share information about your incident with these agencies so you can be provided with the very best support and services available. A guide to hate crime 3 FAT1500_NottPolice_hate_A4_v4 101.indd 3 08/07/ :09

4 Your questions answered How do I report a hate crime? We know that there are a number of reasons that some victims of hate crime may not report the incident to the police. These include: A view that hate crimes happen too frequently to report. That what happened was not serious enough to report or was not a criminal offence. Concerns that reporting the hate crime will lead to further victimisation. A lack of confidence that the police will be able to do anything or that they would be indifferent to the concerns of the victim. Nottinghamshire Police treat all hate crime seriously. We want to know about all incidents of hate crime, no matter how frequently they occur. You should not have to put up with hate crime, so please report every incident to us. We will listen to your concerns and do all that we can to support you and stop it from happening. What if I have a speech impairment? For people with a disability who experience difficulty with verbal communication, Nottinghamshire Police has a system that can make the initial part of contacting us easier. This system is called Pegasus. To register for the scheme, you will need to provide us with your personal details and a short description of your communication difficulty. Once registered, you will be provided with a PIN number that you can give to us when you contact us. For example, when you call you can say the word Pegasus followed by your PIN number, and the call taker can check the Pegasus system for your details. This will help improve our response to you. To apply for the scheme, please complete the enclosed application form at the back of this booklet and post it to us. You can report hate crimes in person, by telephone on 101, or in writing to your local police station. If someone s life is in danger or a crime is in progress, dial 999. When you report a hate crime, an arrangement will be made for an officer to see you. This will be at a time and place you are happy with. Will the police believe me if I say I have experienced hate crime? Yes. If you say that it is a hate crime, then it is, and we will record it. 4 A guide to hate crime FAT1500_NottPolice_hate_A4_v4 101.indd 4 08/07/ :09

5 Who else can help? We understand that some people might be worried about reporting a hate crime incident directly to their local police. If you are concerned, there are a number of other ways that you can make a report. The information below contains details of other people and agencies that you can speak to. They will take your concerns seriously and will ensure that your information remains confidential, and will only share it with any partner agencies that you are comfortable with. Healthy Gay Nottingham A Gay and Bisexual men s health service providing a range of services including counselling and one-to-one support on mental health, emotional wellbeing, sexuality and sexual health issues. They also offer third party reporting of homophobic incidents, advocacy and follow-up support. Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Lesbian & Gay Switchboard or The Switchboard provides information on social facilities, support groups, coming out, accommodation, legal issues, HIV/AIDS or you can just call for a talk. The switchboard also offers third party reporting of homophobic incidents and follow-up support. Stop Hate UK A charity that provides independent and confidential 24-hour support to people affected by hate crime. You can contact them by phone or report hate crime on their website and access support and information. True Vision A website, provided by the Association of Chief Police Officers, that allows victims of hate crime, or those who are concerned about someone else, to report it without having to call or go into a police station. The site provides a wealth of information about hate crime and the many ways it can be reported. A guide to hate crime 5 FAT1500_NottPolice_hate_A4_v4 101.indd 5 08/07/ :09

6 Who else can help? Victim Support Victim Support has specially trained volunteers who can provide practical and emotional support and practical information to help deal with the impact of hate crime. Its services are free, independent and totally confidential. Ann Craft Trust Ann Craft Trust is a national charity that is dedicated to the protection of adults and children with learning disabilities from any form of abuse. They can also provide advice on other local support services for adults and children with learning disabilities. Your local CVS CVS stands for Council for Voluntary Service. Most areas have their own local CVS. They hold information about other organisations that may offer support. Find the number of your local CVS in the Yellow Pages look under Charitable and Voluntary. Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB) provide free, confidential and independent advice from many locations in Nottinghamshire. Advice is available face-to-face and by telephone. Most bureaux offer home visits and some also provide advice. The CAB help people resolve their debt, benefits, housing, legal, discrimination, employment, immigration, consumer and other problems and are available to everyone regardless of race, gender, sexuality, age, nationality, disability or religion. To find your local CAB please visit and enter your postcode. Framework or text and we will phone you back Framework can help if you have problems with the tenancy of your home, understanding housing rights and responsibilities, resolving problems with neighbours, maintaining contact with statutory services and other support providers or accessing other support. They have support workers that understand the problems you are facing and have the contacts and knowledge to help. There is a range of free services in Nottinghamshire for single people, couples and families from all communities, so they can find the right housing support service to suit you. Smile, No Bullying smilenobullying@ positivefutures.org Smile, No Bullying aims to tackle bullying and hate crime towards people with a learning disability. They help set up groups so people can get together and talk about bullying issues and put plans in place to tackle them. They work with schools, transport and other organisations to help them tackle hate crime towards people with a learning disability. They also deliver staff training workshops for people who work in learning disability services, to help them identify bullying and to assist in setting up an anti-bullying policy for those they support. Councils Your local council can help if you are being harassed or discriminated against. The council have a responsibility to all residents and not only their tenants. Contact details are in the local phonebook or search online. 6 A guide to hate crime FAT1500_NottPolice_hate_A4_v4 101.indd 6 08/07/ :09

7 What to do if you have been a victim of hate crime 1. Contact the police, or one of the other organisations in this booklet. 2. Tell the police if you think it is a hate crime. 3. Get the name and number of the officer you speak to. This will be useful if you need to contact the officer again, or if you need to talk to other agencies. Also make sure you are given a crime number. There is a space to record this on page 2 of this booklet. 4. Keep a record of what the police do and tell you as the case progresses. 5. Please use the diary sheets in this booklet to keep a record of any incident(s) that are a problem and how it has affected you (injured, frightened etc.) The sheets are on page 15 of the booklet together with guidance on how to use them. Using the diary sheets will help you if you need to make a statement, rather than having to remember details at a later date. You can also use the information in the diary sheets to share with other agencies, for example your housing provider or the local council, as it may help your case. 6. Do not touch anything that the offender might have been in contact with or that may have blood or saliva on it. For example if someone has touched anything, spat at you or their blood is on anything. This includes weapons, clothes, letters and leaflets. Please keep these because the police may be able to identify the offender from it. 7. Ask for photographs to be taken of anything that shows what has happened, for example, damage to property, graffiti and so on. The police and some councils are able to do this. If you are able, take photographs yourself. 8. If there are any witnesses, get their names and addresses. Ask them to write down what they saw and heard, and sign it. 9. If anyone is injured, make sure they see a doctor or visit a hospital and make sure any visible injuries are photographed 10. Keep a record of any expenses (fares to hospital, loss of earnings etc.) as you may be able to claim compensation. For further information please contact Victim Support. (See page 7 for details). A guide to hate crime 7 FAT1500_NottPolice_hate_A4_v4 101.indd 7 08/07/ :09

8 What you can expect from Nottinghamshire Police You will be seen in person by a police officer who will record and investigate the incident. If you say it is a hate crime, the officer will accept this without question. We will always treat you fairly, with dignity and respect, ensuring that you have fair access to our services at a time and location that is reasonable and suitable for you. Your call will be treated as a priority. We will discuss your needs and arrange a time when we can come to see you. If you need to call 999 in an emergency, we aim to answer within 10 seconds. We will attend as safely and quickly as possible, and will give you an estimated time of arrival. We aim to visit all victims of hate crime within 24 hours of the original call. When the officer meets you they will obtain details of the incident and will complete a hate crime risk assessment form. The form contains a series of questions that will help us to find out about how this and any previous problems are affecting you. You may have been asked some of these questions before, but it is important for us to know how you see the situation now and how it might have changed. We will also ask you if you are happy for us to share details of the incident with other agencies. This is because there may be other ways to help you, and other agencies may offer alternative ways to prevent further incidents. We will provide you with a crime number, and a copy of this hate crime pack. Early in the investigation you will be seen by a police supervisor who will inform you of their role and listen to any concerns that you may have. They will speak to you about what you want to happen and as far as possible include that in the plans for investigation. They will also confirm with you which officer is investigating your complaint. We will keep you informed of what is going on at all stages of the investigation. We will arrange for an officer to contact you at least every 14 days to provide ongoing support until the enquiry is finished. This contact will be at a time and place that is suitable to you. In most cases this officer will be from your local beat team. They will also take account of any new information you have which may help the investigation. We will refer your details to Victim Support, who may be able to offer you support. If you do not want to be referred to Victim Support, please tell us. 8 A guide to hate crime FAT1500_NottPolice_hate_A4_v4 101.indd 8 08/07/ :09

9 What can the police do? Incidents will be investigated using all the powers available to the police against crime, and investigations will be done professionally. Wherever possible the police will seek to deal with those responsible for committing hate crime in a positive manner. In doing this we will seek to carry out the investigation in line with your wishes and involve you in decisions about the investigation. When a suspect is arrested and charged, conditions of bail may be imposed to prevent further harassment. In addition to laws available to the police, such as assault and damage, the Public Order Act makes it illegal for people to threaten you with violence or to act in a deliberately abusive or insulting way towards you. Deliberate harassment is also against the law, and if someone deliberately harasses you on more than one occasion it is illegal under the Protection from Harassment Act. At the conclusion of the investigation, officers will let you know the outcome in person. A guide to hate crime 9 FAT1500_NottPolice_hate_A4_v4 101.indd 9 08/07/ :09

10 Other solutions Sometimes there are alternative ways to deal with what has happened that can be more effective at stopping the problem than using the criminal law. We will work with and support our partner agencies in considering alternative solutions, for example: Enforcement of Tenancy Agreements Many tenancy agreements include obligations that the tenant and their visitors will not cause anti-social behaviour or harassment to neighbours or people within the locality. If the agreement is breached the landlord can take action. Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABC) An ABC is a written agreement between the perpetrator and typically their landlord, local authority or police that lists the type of antisocial acts that the offender agrees not to continue and outlines the consequences if the contract is breached. ABCs are not legally binding, but can be used in court as evidence in Anti-Social Behaviour Order applications, or in eviction or possession proceedings. They are often an effective way to change people s behaviour if it is causing a problem. Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) These are court orders, usually obtained by the local authority, that forbid specific threatening or intimidating actions. An ASBO can ban a person from continuing such actions, being with specific people in certain places and visiting specific areas. Civil Injunctions An injunction is a court order that prohibits someone from doing something or can be used to prevent someone from visiting certain areas. Sometimes housing providers may approach the court to take out an injunction on behalf of a tenant who is experiencing problems with someone else. If you have a problem like this, it may be useful to approach one of the agencies and partners named in the Who else can help? section on page 5. It is possible for someone to make their own application to a court for an injunction, but it is advisable to seek legal advice before doing so. 10 A guide to hate crime FAT1500_NottPolice_hate_A4_v4 101.indd 10 08/07/ :09

11 Hate Crime Risk Assessment We need to find out about how this incident and any previous problems are affecting you. When beginning the investigation into a hate crime, the police officer attending your call will ask you some questions. We understand that answering these questions may be hard because of how you feel. You may have been asked some of these questions before, but it s important for us to know how you see your situation now, and how it might have changed. Your answers will help the police provide a service that takes account of what has happened, and the impact it has had on you and those close to you. The questions you will be asked are on these two pages. If your answer to any of these questions changes at any time throughout the investigation, please let us know. Risk Assessment questions Which of the following do you think that this incident deliberately targeted: You, your family or your community? Did the incident occur at any of the following places: Your home, work, school or a community location? Is the incident connected to doing your job? If yes, has it affected your ability to work as usual? Was your property damaged? Were weapons or arson used or threatened? Were you injured? If yes, what medical treatment was necessary? Do you think that this incident could have caused serious physical injury, emotional harm, damage or loss? Do you think that this incident happened because of more general problems between people from different backgrounds living in your area? Do you think that this incident could cause problems between people from different backgrounds living in your area? A guide to hate crime 11 FAT1500_NottPolice_hate_A4_v4 101.indd 11 08/07/ :09

12 Do you know the offender/s? Is the offender/s local? Has the offender/s caused problems before? Other than this occasion, have you been the victim of any other incident? How often do you have problems? Has anyone s health been affected as a result of this and any previous incidents? Because of what has happened, have you or your family changed what you normally do? Has the way you feel about your home changed by what has happened? Are you concerned about what might happen in the future? Do you think the current incident is linked to previous incidents? Do you think that incidents are happening more often and/or are getting worse? How affected do you feel by what has happened? If you are affected a lot or extremely, do you feel at the end of you tether? Apart from any effect on you, do you think anyone else has been affected by what has happened? Have any of your relationships with people been affected by what has happened? As a result of this and any other incidents do you feel safe on a day-to-day basis? In addition to what has happened, do you feel that there is anything that is increasing you or your family s personal risk? (e.g. because of a disability, personal circumstances) Have you got any personal support, such as from your family or local community? Is there anything else you would want us to know about what has happened and how it has affected you? Have you informed any other agencies about what has happened? What do you want to happen now? Are you willing to allow agencies to share information to deal with what has happened and support you and your family? 12 A guide to hate crime FAT1500_NottPolice_hate_A4_v4 101.indd 12 08/07/ :09

13 If you need to make a complaint At Nottinghamshire Police, we want to make sure every victim of hate crime is satisfied with the service they receive. If you are not happy about the way your case is being handled, first tell the officer so they can try and put things right. If you are still unhappy, contact the Neighbourhood Policing Inspector who is responsible for policing in your area. Find out who they are by calling 101 or visiting www. nottinghamshire.police.uk We will acknowledge any dissatisfaction about the service you have received. We will aim to fully resolve the matter, discussing with you how it will be handled, and giving you the opportunity to talk in person to someone about your concerns. We will agree with you what will be done about them and how quickly. If this does not resolve your concerns, you can make a formal complaint by speaking to an inspector at your local police station, or by writing to the Chief Constable at Sherwood Lodge, Arnold, Nottingham, NG5 8PP. A guide to hate crime 13 FAT1500_NottPolice_hate_A4_v4 101.indd 13 08/07/ :09

14 Information about the rest of this booklet The remainder of this booklet contains a number of forms that will help you to keep a record about what has happened, and other information that may help you to tell us how you are affected by what has taken place. We have listed the sections below. Diary sheets Please use the diary sheets on the following pages of this booklet to keep a record of the details of any incident(s) that are a problem and how they have affected you. Include every detail you can remember, for example the date, time and place, a description of offenders, actual words used and how it affected you (if you were injured, frightened etc). This will help if you are asked to make a statement. Please include as much information as possible. You can also use the information in the diary sheet to share with other agencies, for example your housing provider or the local council, as it may help in your case. We have provided an example entry for you on page 15. Safer Neighbourhoods survey The Safer Neighbourhoods survey lets you tell us what is important to you, and what you feel the police should be doing in your area. Any information you provide will help us to decide on the priorities for your area. Please take the time to complete the survey and return it to your local police station or officer. Pegasus application form For people with a disability who experience difficulty with verbal communication, Nottinghamshire Police has a system that can make the initial phase of contacting us easier. This system is called Pegasus. Information about Pegasus is on page 4 of this booklet and the application form is on page A guide to hate crime FAT1500_NottPolice_hate_A4_v4 101.indd 14 08/07/ :09

15 Diary sheets Time & Date 6.30pm 01/05/2008 Details Example entry: At home in my front room. Heard a loud bang on my window. I looked outside and saw a young boy standing next to my fence. He shouted get back to where you come from and then he ran away. My window is cracked from a stone hitting it. The boy was white, about 13 to 16 years of age. He was about 5ft 8in tall. He had very short fair hair. He was wearing a blue hoody with the hood down and a white design on the back. He was about 20 feet away from me. It was daylight at the time and I had a clear view of him. I don t know his name but I have seen this boy before and I think that he lives on the next street. I am very frightened and upset. I have telephoned the police A guide to hate crime 15 FAT1500_NottPolice_hate_A4_v4 101.indd 15 08/07/ :09

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19 neighbourhoods Neighbourhood priority survey What is important to you? Nottinghamshire Police is dedicated to providing a visible and accessible service that s tailored to meet our community s needs. As part of our commitment to creating Safer Neighbourhoods, we want to know what s important to you, including the issues you feel we should be tackling. Please take the time to complete this really quick and simple survey. We d appreciate it if you could also fill in your postcode and area where you live. Neighbourhood priorities Which issues concern you most in your neighbourhood? (Tick all that apply) Anti-social behaviour / rowdy, nuisance behaviour Burglary (house, shed etc) Criminal damage / vandalism / graffiti Dog fouling Drinking (on the street or underage) Drugs misuse / supply Groups of people hanging around on the street Litter / fly tipping Off-road motorbikes / mini motos Speeding Theft of / from vehicles Traffic offences such as illegal parking There are no problems in this area Other. Please specify: Postcode Area Key neighbourhood solutions Thinking about the issues you ve chosen, what could help to improve them? (Tick all that apply) Better lighting or physical barriers to prevent issues CCTV Crime prevention advice More highly visible policing on the streets including PCSOs (Police Community Support Officers) Implementation of an alcohol-free zone More rubbish / dog litter bins / bins emptied more frequently Parking enforcement including double yellow lines / permits Better / more facilities and activities for young people locally Regular meetings with the police Speed enforcement / mobile speed cameras Other. Please specify: A guide to hate crime 19 FAT1500_NottPolice_hate_A4_v4 101.indd 19 08/07/ :09

20 About you It s important for us to reach everyone in the community, so please provide us with the following information about you: This information will be used for monitoring purposes only What age were you on your last birthday? Under or above Do not wish to say What is your ethnic group? Asian or Asian British Black or Black British Chinese Mixed White Other ethnic group (please specify): Do not wish to say What is your gender? Male Female Prefer not to say What is your employment status? In paid employment (employee or self-employed) In unpaid employment (e.g. voluntary, working for family business) Looking after the family home Retired In full-time education Registered unemployed Other (please specify): Do not wish to say Do you have a recognised disability? Yes No Do not wish to say Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire and help your community to become a safer and more enjoyable place to live. Please hand your completed survey to a local officer or pop it into your local station. To contact your local officers and to find out more about how they are helping create Safer Neighbourhoods, visit our website Alternatively, call us on 101 and ask to speak to your local beat team 20 A guide to hate crime FAT1500_NottPolice_hate_A4_v4 101.indd 20 08/07/ :09

21 Pegasus application form ** These fields are mandatory fields and MUST be completed Surname ** First name ** Address line1** Address line 2 ** Address line 3 ** Address line 4 ** Postcode** Tel no Mobile no address Disability / impairment** Briefly, how does your disability affect your day-to-day life? Your preferred method of contact (telephone/mobile/text/ ) A guide to hate crime 21 FAT1500_NottPolice_hate_A4_v4 101.indd 21 08/07/ :09

22 Pegasus application form Trusted person or contact 1 Name Address Telephone Mobile Trusted person or contact 2 Name Address Telephone Mobile Information supplied to us on this form will only be used for the purpose of providing a service through the Pegasus database. We will not share your information with anyone outside Nottinghamshire Police without your permission. Please return your completed form to: Nottinghamshire Police Demand Management - Pegasus Sherwood Lodge Drive Arnold Nottingham NG5 8PP 22 A guide to hate crime FAT1500_NottPolice_hate_A4_v4 101.indd 22 08/07/ :09

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