Town’s “zero tolerance” approach to hate crime

TOWN Hall bosses and police have got together to launch a new “zero tolerance” approach to hate crime in Warrington.
Working alongside other public and voluntary bodies they have produced the revised Hate Crime Strategy for Warrington.
Cllr Hitesh Patel (pictured), the borough cvouncil’s lead member for personnel and communications, said: “Hate crime can destroy lives and can stop people from living and enjoying their everyday lives.  It affects whole communities and inflicts long-lasting damage on the fabric of our society. It hurts all of us. That’s why it is so important that the police, the council and so many other organisations have come together determined to tackle it.
“If all of us play our part in challenging discrimination, abuse and bullying, and in promoting and celebrating the diversity that so enriches today’s society, we can make hate crime a thing of the past.”
Hate crime affects all communities and if not tackled can lead to isolation and victimisation of individuals and vulnerable groups.
The strategy’s priorities for the next three years are:
*To increase awareness and reporting of hate crime
*To increase awareness and reporting of disability related harassment and “mate crime” by raising awareness of what constitutes disability related harassment and mate crime and the devastating impact this has on victims and their families.
*Work with minority communities including Gypsies and Travellers to combat race and religiously motivated hate crime and anti-Muslim hate crime.
The council says it is committed to delivering this strategy and has developed an action plan which sets out how it will deliver the priorities.
Hate crime is defined as harassing, victimising, intimidating or abusing someone because of their race, faith, religion, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. It can take many forms including physical attacks, threat of attack or verbal abuse.
Mate crime is defined as abuse or exploitation of a vulnerable person by someone they believed to be a friend.
Anyone who believes they are a victim of, or witness a hate crime can report it to the police on 999 or 101.