National Hate Crime Awareness Week runs from 11 -19 October and highlights the importance of recognising, reporting, and addressing hate crime in our communities.
What is a hate crime?
A hate crime is a criminal offence committed against a person or property that is motivated by hostility towards their actual or perceived disability, race, religion, transgender identity, or sexual orientation. These are known as protected characteristics.
Reports of hate crime to West Midlands Police
Last year, West Midlands Police recorded:
- 7,653 racial hate crimes
- 737 religious hate crimes
- 354 disability hate crimes
- 1,273 sexual orientation hate crimes
- 214 transgender identity hate crimes
In total, 9,646 hate crimes were reported across the West Midlands - a number that highlights just how important it is that we all play a part in tackling these issues.
This year’s focus: H.O.P.E
Through the H.O.P.E campaign, National Hate Crime Awareness Week hopes to bring authorities (government, police and councils), key partners (anti-hate crime charities, business and voluntary sectors), and communities affected by hate crimes together to create a safer environment for everyone:
- H for raising Hate crime awareness.
- O for improving Operational responses to hate crime
- P for Preventing hate crime.
- E for community Engagement.
We’re a third-party hate crime reporting centre
Unfortunately, hate crime and hate incidents are often underreported, which is why we’ve become a third-party hate crime reporting centre. This means that anyone experiencing a hate crime can come to our offices and report it directly to us, in a safe and supportive environment.
We hope, that by giving our communities a safe place to report incidents, this will help to increase reporting and the flow of information to help tackle hate crime.
Working in partnership with West Midlands Police
Our Tenancy Services team has been actively working with West Midlands Police, undergoing training to better support victims of hate crime. This training means our teams are now equipped to signpost, refer, and provide tailored support to those affected by hate crimes.
What you can do to help
If you or someone you know has been the victim of a hate crime, please encourage them to report it either to the police, or directly to our Tenancy Services team at tenancyservices@midlandheart.org.uk.
You can also visit our office in Birmingham to report a hate crime, at 20 Bath Row, Birmingham, B15 1LZ.
