Kingston Police have launched a campaign to tackle hate crime as part of National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2018.
Spanning 13-20 October, the week-long campaign is focused on increasing the public’s knowledge and understanding of hate crime, its effects, where to find support, who can report it and how.
Sally Benatar, Chief Superintendent of the South West Basic Command Unit, said: “It’s so important to raise awareness of hate crime so that people can spot it, report it and get support. Victims do not report, either because they are scared, embarrassed, or do not know how.
“There is no place for hate in Kingston”.
Throughout the week, Kingston Police will publish a chapter of a fictional story each day at 5pm on their Facebook page. The story will help people to identify and understand hate crimes, and inform the public of what they can to do if they are a victim or a witness.
They will also release information via their Twitter feed regarding upcoming hate crime awareness events in the Kingston area.
According to Home Office statistics, the police in England and Wales recorded over 80,000 hate-related offences throughout 2016-2017, identifying a 29% surge from the previous year.
For more information about National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2018, you can visit: https://nationalhcaw.uk/.
Members of the public can call 999 if they wish to report a hate crime. Alternatively, such incidents can be reported online at https://www.met.police.uk/tv/true-vision-report-hate-crime/, or through the “Self Evident” app at https://www.witnessconfident.org/self-evident-app.
