Hate crime victims being let down by the police

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has published a new inspection report which reveals widespread problems with how the police deal with hate incidents and crimes.

Professor Neil Chakraborti and Dr Stevie-Jade Hardy from the Centre for Hate Studies were invited to form part of the Expert Advisory Group which helped to shape the inspection.

Many of the problems identified within the inspection emulate the findings from research conducted by the Centre for Hate Studies.

Dr Stevie-Jade Hardy, Lecturer in Hate Studies, said “Over the past five years we have heard from more than 2,000 victims who have experienced different forms of hate crime and who have been targeted for different reasons. Too often victims are not receiving an empathetic response, are not kept up to date with case developments, and are not offered appropriate support which compounds the emotional distress and sense of isolation caused by the original incident.”

The inspection report proposes a number of recommendations which aim to improve police responses to hate crime, including training for call handlers and frontline officers, new guidance to deal with online hate and improving communication with and the support offered to victims.

Professor Neil Chakraborti, Head of Criminology and Director of the Centre for Hate Studies, said: “We welcome the recommendations within the HMICFRS report and hope that they can pave the way for meaningful improvements and greater consistency within police responses to hate crime. There is evidence of good practice within many police force areas, as rightly acknowledged within the report, and the sharing of this good practice, together with a renewed commitment from all forces and partner agencies, will generate better support for hate crime victims.”