No Place for Hate: hate crime reports in Camden are up
As Hate Crime Awareness Week kicks off, new statistics show an increase in hate and faith crime reporting in the borough.
The Council and our partners are hailing this as a success of the No Place for Hate campaign and advocacy work in the borough. For example, race and religious hate crime has increased from 422 to 531 reports compared to the same 12 month period last year.
“This increase in hate crime reporting is not bad news for the borough, in fact, on the contrary it shows our efforts are working,” said Councillor Jonathan Simpson, Cabinet Member for Community Safety.
He continued: “This doesn’t necessarily mean that there is a rise of incidents but that people are more confident in coming forward which is the first step to making Camden a borough which is ‘No Place for Hate’.
“We need to increase reporting to help us eradicate the problems. This has been a priority for Camden and our partners so I’m pleased that we can see the efforts we are making as a community are making a significant impact so that we can take action against the perpetrators of these horrendous crimes and send a strong message about how seriously we take this issue.”
Know where to go: How do I report hate crime?
A hate crime is defined as any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a personal characteristic such as race, religion/faith, sexual orientation, disability and transgender identity.
A third party reporting system, which piloted in 2014, has made it possible for victims to report a hate crime in Camden to a number of different community organisations where they may feel more comfortable.
If you experience or have experienced a hate crime there is help and support available.
Anyone who experiences hate crime can make a report to the police, or if you do not want to contact the police, you can report race and faith crime to Victim Support in Camden on 020 7336 1766 or via one of the organsiations in our third party reporting scheme. For a full list visit our dedicated page on hate crime.