Hate crime
Crimes committed against someone because of their disability, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender-identity are hate crimes and should be reported to the police.
Examples of hate crimes against a person are:
- physical attacks like hitting or spitting
- verbal abuse or rude gestures
- online abuse
- inciting others to commit hate crimes
- damage to property such as vandalism, graffiti or arson
- sending offensive text messages, notes or posters
You can find further information on the hate crime page of the CPS for GOV.UK.
Why you should report hate crime
If you experience a hate crime or hate incident you should report it. This allows agencies to offer you support and advice and ensures steps are taken to bring offenders to justice.
If you do not feel ready to contact the police you can report to any of the agencies listed in our directory.
You do not have to take action against your offender and you may not be able to if you do not know who they are. It can feel daunting to take action and you may fear repercussions. We are committed to supporting you through this process and work in partnership with agencies to provide tailored support.
By reporting hate crime or incidents you are also enabling agencies to gain a greater understanding of any incident in your area, the extent of hate within your local area, and therefore develop improved responses. You may also be helping to prevent other people becoming victims of hate crime.
If you are a young person and have experienced or witnessed a hate crime or hate incident, you can also speak to an adult you trust.
Information needed to report a hate crime or incident
It helps when reporting hate crime to write down or provide the following:
- time, date and location of the incident
- identity or description of the perpetrator
- name of any witness
Report a hate crime
Contact the police on 999 if you are witnessing a crime in progress or if someone is in immediate danger.
Call the police on 101 if it is not an immediate emergency.
You can also visit a police station or report to the police online
If you do not want to contact the police directly you can:
- complete an online hate crime form through True Vison which is supported by the police
- report anonymously to Crimestoppers
If you have reported hate crime on more than one occasion and you feel that not enough action has been taken you can request a community trigger.
Support and advice
If you are a victim of hate crime you can contact Stand Against Racism & Inequality (SARI). Specialist advisors will support you even if you do not want to contact the police.
Contact SARI on:
phone: 0117 942 0060
email: sari@sariweb.org.uk
You can access SARI leaflets in the various languages they commonly work with.
Housing association tenants
If you are a housing association tenant you should contact your housing officer to make a hate crime or incident report.
Bromford Housing Association (formerly Merlin)
LiveWest Housing Association (formerly Knightstone/Liverty)
Service directory
Our directory of local services lists helpful organisations that can provide guidance and advice for victims and their friends and families.