HATE crime will not be tolerated: Essex Police reaffirm their commitment to tackling hate crime as part of National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2024
Following the launch of National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2024, Chief Superintendent Waheed Khan, Essex Police’s hate crime lead, sends a clear message to perpetrators, saying: “Hate crime will not be tolerated in Essex.”
National Hate Crime Awareness Week, which runs from 12 to 19 October, is a national week of action to raise awareness of hate crime and to encourage key partners and communities to work together to tackle all its forms.
Chief Supt Khan explained: “Everyone in Essex has the right to be safe and on behalf of the force, I want to reaffirm our commitment to tackling all forms of hate crime and to encourage victims to come forward to report incidents.
“We work closely with all the communities we serve in the county to understand any issues they face and work with them to address concerns quickly.
“All officers, staff and volunteers at Essex Police work hard every day to protect the safety and freedoms of our communities and we won’t tolerate hate crime in any form.
“A vital part of this work is via our partners across the county, and we take robust action to ensure hate crime offenders are brought to justice.
“By having these conversations, I hope that we can raise awareness amongst our communities of the impact hate crime has and to give people the confidence to report to us or our partners and join us in taking a stand against hatred and discrimination.
“Coming forward is the vital first step that allows us to deal with the people that are perpetrating crimes against them and will allow us to work with partner agencies to offer victims practical and emotional support.
“Everything they tell us will allow us to identify themes and take targeted action, thereby improving our response to hate crime.”
A hate crime is defined as any incident, which is perceived by the victim, or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice, based on a personal characteristic such as disability, sexual orientation or gender identity, cultural background, religion or belief.
The force’s hate crime lead added: “Some perpetrators may not realise that their actions are hostile and don’t consider the full repercussions of their actions. Either way, it’s wrong and we will continue to challenge them to stop their harmful behaviour because we recognise that hate crimes can escalate. What starts as low-level anti-social behaviour can grow into more serious offences that are motivated by hate.
“But we also want to encourage those who maybe don’t realise that they have been subject of a hate crime or those who witness something that doesn’t feel right to come forward.
“Some people think that because they are not directly involved in a hate crime, that they can’t report it – they can.”
If you are a victim of hate crime, you can report it online at www.essex.police.uk, by dialling 101 or 999 if it’s an emergency. You can also report it at any police station or by visiting one of the hate crime reporting centres in the county.
For more information, please go to https://www.essex.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/hco/hate-crime/how-to-report-hate-crime/.
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