Hate Crime (April 2018)
Pro-active Scrutiny 2017 to 2018
Following public consultation, the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) launched his Police and Crime Plan in December 2016, within which he set out his key priorities for delivery to 2021. Within the Plan the Commissioner stated that he would prioritise addressing hate crime within Hampshire and the IOW, “as something we all have a responsibility to challenge and overcome”, with a view to offering better outcomes for victims and those vulnerable to hate crime within our communities
The Panel’s review aimed to scrutinise and support the PCC in his intention to prevent and tackle hate crime across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The scrutiny considered how well the PCC was listening to and engaging partners, community associations and members of the public across the two counties in efforts to enhance outcomes for victims and to encourage them to come forward to report their concerns.
The evidence received suggested that the PCC and his office had taken an active role in addressing hate crime, through approaches including expanding the number of third party reporting centres, supporting the work of partners and introducing a Hate Crime Working Group.
The evidence also identified a concern, not previously recognised, regarding the low level of engagement in and awareness of Hate Crime in some rural communities and suggested that the PCC also needed to look further at anti-sematic hate crime and that targeted towards those with disabilities.
The Panel has made a number of recommendations addressing the concerns raised and making suggestion upon improving the approach to tackling and preventing hate crime within the communities of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
A letter to the Commissioner outlining, in full, the Panel’s findings and recommendations from this review is published below.
