Report hate crime

We take hate crime very seriously. It is important that all hate crime is reported so it can be dealt with appropriately.

A hate crime is any incident which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be driven by hatred or hostility because of one or more of:

  • race, ethnicity and nationality
  • religion, faith or belief
  • disability
  • gender identity
  • sexual preference, or
  • age.

Hate crime can be targeted at anyone who associates with people who identify with any of these groups and directed at individuals, families and groups of people.

Hate crime can take the form of an assault, verbal abuse, threats, name calling, harassment, damage to property, arson or cyberbullying.

Who can report a hate crime?

Anyone can report hate crime. You can report hate crime if:

  • you are a victim of hate crime
  • you are a witness to hate crime
  • you are a third party reporting on behalf of someone else.

How can I report a hate crime?

You can report hate crime to a number of agencies:

Our response to Serious Violence

Serious violence is a national priority due to its growing prevalence and impact. The term “serious violence” is most often used to define crimes that are considered ‘high harm’ offences where violence has occurred, often culminating in serious harm and/or injury.

Legislative requirements under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 provides statutory duties for council’s and local services to work together to share information and undertake measures to prevent and reduce serious violence.

This requirement includes identifying types of serious violence that occur in responsible areas, the causes of that violence, and prepare and implement a strategy for preventing and reducing it. 

We have created an extensive Serious Violence Duty Response Plan with the Serious Violence Partnership and Community Safety Partnerships, to help address the issues in our area.

View the Serious Violence Duty Response Plan