Hate crimes are targeted at a person because of hostility or prejudice towards the following:
- Disability
- Race or Ethnicity
- Religion or Belief
- Sexual Orientation
- Transgender identity
Hate crime can be committed against a person or property. A victim does not have to be a member of the group at which the incident is targeted. Anyone can be a victim.
Incidents can feel like crimes to those who suffer them. They often escalate into crimes or community tension. As a result, police are particularly concerned about incidents and encourage people to report them.
However, police can only prosecute when the law is broken. Despite this, officers will work with partners to try to prevent the situation from becoming more serious.
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) works closely with anti-racism charity Show Racism the Red Card.
It provides educational workshops, training sessions, multi-media packages and other resources to tackle racism.
Find out more about Show Racism the Red Card.
Why Report Hate Crime?
Hate crimes and incidents are hurtful, confusing and frightening. By reporting them, you may be able to prevent them happening to someone else.
Reporting also helps police to understand hate crime in your area so they can respond to it appropriately.
Reporting makes a difference – to you, your friends, and your life.
How to Report Hate Crime
There are several ways to report hate crime. You can report incidents if you have been a victim, a witness, or on behalf of someone else. You can do this in the following ways:
Contact the Police
- Always ring 999 in an emergency
- Ring 101 for a non-emergency.
You can speak to the police in confidence. As a result, you don’t have to give your personal details. However, police investigations and the ability to prosecute may be hindered if officers can’t contact you.
Use a Third Party Reporting Centre
If you don’t want to speak directly to the police, you can report crime at a Third Party Reporting Centre.
Third Party Reporting Centres can provide support and forward details to the police.
Reports do not have to include your contact details if you don’t want police to investigate. Reports can often alert police to areas where hate crime is a particular problem.
All Third Party Reporting Centres in the Cleveland Police area are listed in the following document.
Third Party Reporting Centres in Cleveland (application, 172kB)