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Could you be a Hate Crime Reporting Champion?

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A series of community groups and organisations in Barnet have joined forces to call on volunteers to become Hate Crime Reporting Champions during National Hate Crime Awareness Week.

image of hate crime logo

image of hate crime logo

To become a champion, all residents need to do is report hate crime when they encounter it. The best place to do it is through the True Vision website at report-it.org.uk – which is accessible from any computer or mobile device. Residents can also go directly to the police by phoning 101, or 999 in the case of an emergency. However, for safety reasons, people should not confront those who commit hate crime.

The reports will allow the police and their partners to build up a statistical picture of hate crime hotspots, so they can target resources towards stopping it. This could include more police patrols or community workshops to bring people together.

Councillor Reuben Thompstone, Chairman of Barnet Council’s Community Leadership and Libraries Committee, said: “Hate crime is often unreported, and we want to change that. We want to show people that hate crime will not be tolerated in our borough. No one deserves to be targeted with abuse because of their disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, faith, race, religion or national origin. We want everyone to know that. We will not let hate crime escalate in our Barnet.”

Research has also shown that hate crime can escalate and spread if it is left unchecked within a community. Hate crime can be targeted against its victims on the grounds of disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, faith, race, religion or national origin. It can include verbal abuse, criminal damage, bullying, assault, harassment and offensive graffiti.

Community support workers will be visiting a different part of the borough every day next week to encourage people to become Hate Crime Reporting Champions. Expertise will be shared by the Metropolitan Police and organisations like Barnet Mencap and Barnet Council to spread public awareness and understanding of hate crime, and the effect it has on its victims.

You’ll be able to find them at:

  • Edgware Bus Station, Station Road, HA8 7AW, from 10am-4pm on Monday 15 October
  • North Finchley Bus Station, 88 Kingsway, N12 0EN, from 10am-2pm on Tuesday 16 October
  • North London Business Park, Oakleigh Road South, N11 1NP, from 11am-2pm on Wednesday 17 October – for Barnet Council staff only
  • Middlesex University, Hendon, NW4 4BT, from 10am-4pm on Thursday 18 October
  • Golders Green Bus Station, NW11 7RN, from 10am-4pm on Thursday 18 October
  • Islamic Association of North London, North Finchley, N12 0DA, from 11am-3pm on Friday 19 October

For more information, email projectsupport@barnetmencap.org.uk or call 020 8349 3842. Barnet Council is pleased to be collaborating with Barnet Mencap, as well as with a range of other local voluntary and community organisations, to work towards ensure that all people who live, work or study in Barnet feel confident to report hate crime.

There are nine hate crime reporting centres in the borough, where hate crime offences can be reported. More information on how to report hate crime – including the locations and contact details of the hate crime reporting centres.

Notes:

  • Research has also shown that hate crime can escalate and spread if it is left unchecked within a community.
  • Hate crime can be targeted against its victims on the grounds of disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, faith, race, religion or national origin.
  • Hate crime can include verbal abuse, criminal damage, bullying, assault, harassment and offensive graffiti.