| Label | Content |
|---|---|
| Meeting: | MQT on 18 March 2021 |
| Session name: | MQT on 18/03/2021 between 10:00 and 13:00 |
| Reference: | 2021/1209 |
| Question by: | David Kurten |
| Organisation: | Brexit Alliance Group |
| Asked of: | The Mayor |
| Category: | Policing |
Question
Protecting Londoners From ‘Thought Crime’ Policing (3)
In the MailOnline article ‘Police log 120,000 ‘hate reports’ – but not ONE is a crime’, 13 February 2021, Harry Miller a former police officer and co-founder of the Fair Cop campaign group said: “Non-crime hate incident reports do not appear to have any usefulness as a crime prevention tool, but what they do have is a chilling effect on free
speech because they make people think twice before saying or posting something on social media in the fear that it could land them with a criminal record. “These reports have allowed the police to become weaponised by woke activists who seek to attack and shut people up if they dare to express any views that they do not agree with.” Do you acknowledge these comments that non-crime hate incidents are being used by activists to silence people they do not agree with?
Ref: Police log 120,000 'hate reports' - but not ONE is a crime
Answer
No. I do not draw the same conclusion from the comments that you quote. As I stated in MQ 2020/1052, recording hate crime incidents helps the police to build an intelligence picture with regard to community tensions and the risks of incidents escalating into hate crimes and is supported by College of Policing guidance. People are not criminalised over a non-crime incident. Indeed, as I quoted in MQ2020/1050, the Honourable Mr Justice Knowles stated that “the recording of non-crime hate incidents barely encroaches on freedom of expression, if it does so at all.”
On this page
Related questions
| Question | Reference | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Protecting Londoners From ‘Thought Crime’ Policing (1) | 2021/1207 | 18 March 2021 |
| Protecting Londoners From ‘Thought Crime’ Policing (2) | 2021/1208 | 18 March 2021 |
| Protecting Londoners from ‘thought crime’ policing (3) | 2020/1052 | 19 March 2020 |
| Protecting Londoners from ‘thought crime’ policing (1) | 2020/1050 | 19 March 2020 |
| Protecting Londoners from ‘thought crime’ policing (2) | 2020/1051 | 19 March 2020 |
| Protecting Londoners from ‘thought crime’ policing (4) | 2020/1053 | 19 March 2020 |
| Protected Cycle Lanes (3) | 2021/1333 | 18 March 2021 |
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