To mark National Hate Crime Week, local London Assembly Member, Navin Shah AM, has called for the community to “come together to stamp out racially motivated hate crime.” He is also encouraging Londoners to “stand firm” against a potential spike in hate crime incidents in the event that the United Kingdom formally leaves the European Union in 2019.
There were 606 racist hate crime offences reported in Brent and 288 reported in Harrow, between September 2017 and August 2018, according to the latest figures from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) Hate Crime Dashboard. These figures represent a 7.8% increase in offences for Brent and a 3.3% decrease for Harrow, when compared to the same period in the year before.
In London, the number of racist hate crimes dropped by 5.4% from the previous year to 15,122 between September 2017 and August 2018.
However, in July, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), raised concerns in a report that there could be a potential spike in hate crime in 2019 when the United Kingdom formally leaves the European Union.
In the wake of the EU Referendum result in June 2016, the Mayor of London pledged a “zero tolerance approach to hate crime”. Following this, in April 2017, the Metropolitan Police established a dedicated hate crime unit to tackle online incidents of abuse.
The Metropolitan Police Business Plan 2018/2021, has also revealed plans for newly established Basic Command Units across London to undertake a self-audit of hate crime reports. The purpose of this audit will be to identify improvements that local police forces could make to the support they provide to victims of hate crime.
Local London Assembly Member, Navin Shah AM, said:
“It is disgraceful that people in our community have been targeted with racist abuse. In Harrow and Brent, diversity has always been our strength and we are proud to welcome and celebrate people from all backgrounds and cultures.
“It takes a huge amount of courage for victims of racist abuse to come forward, but I would strongly urge anyone on the receiving end of any form of hate crime to report it. It is only by working closely with the police that we will be able to stamp it out and ensure victims are given the support they need.
“We are fortunate to live in a city that is defined by its diversity and has always embraced people from around the world. In these uncertain political times and with the culminating tensions surrounding Brexit, it is more important than ever that, as Londoners, we stand firm against any attempts made to divide us”.
ENDS
Notes to editors
- There were 606 recorded racist hate crime offences reported in Brent between September 2017 and August 2018, according to the latest figures derived from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) Hate Crime Dashboard;
- These figures represent an increase in racist hate crime when compared to the year before on both a local and London-wide scale. Between September 2016 to August 2017, there were 562 racist hate crime incidents in Brent, and in London, 16,060;
- There were 288 recorded racist hate crime offences reported in Harrow between September 2017 and August 2018, which represents a decrease in racist hate crime from the year before.
- Across London, there were 15,122 incidents of racist hate crime during the period from September 2017 to August 2018.
- Hate Crime Awareness Week runs from 13th - 20th October 2018;
- Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) delivers independent assessments of the effectiveness and efficiency of police forces and fire and rescue services in England and Wales;
- The HMICRFS report, Understanding the difference: the initial police response to hate crime, can be found here;
- In the wake of the European Referendum, the Mayor of London pledged a “zero tolerance approach to hate crime”;
- In April 2017, the Metropolitan Police established a dedicated hate crime unit to tackle online incidents of abuse;
- The Metropolitan Police Business Plan 2018/2021, has also revealed plans for newly established Basic Command Units across London to undertake a self-audit of hate crime cases;
- Navin Shah AM is the London Assembly Member for Harrow and Brent.
For more information please contact Labour Group Research Support Officer, Yana Nyawela, on 020 7983 4876. Number not for publication.