Successful prosecution in Rugby
A 56-year old defendant from Rugby has been sentenced for racially abusing two people including a police officer.
Read more...Warwickshire based charity, Equality and Inclusion Partnership (EQuIP) are in the process of supporting taxi businesses to participate in their Hate Crime Charter (HCC) project.
Funded by Warwickshire's Police & Crime Commissioner, EQuIP's HCC project offers taxi businesses and other transport providers an opportunity to benefit from the FREE hate crime awareness training for staff and there are a variety of branded resources available that can be displayed in premises or vehicles.
The main reason transport providers are being contacted by EQuIP is down to the increased number of reports surrounding hateful incidents in transport settings.
To explain this further, people are experiencing and witnessing acts of hate when waiting at train stations, bus stops and taxi ranks, when using train and bus services and many incidents have been reported from transport staff who sometimes experience and/or witness acts of hate whilst at work.
Official police statistics have highlighted issues connected to transport and Warwickshire's Police & Crime Commissioner was very quick to react to this issue.
Initially launched back in April 2018, EQuIP receiving funding from Warwickshire's Police & Crime Commissioner which enabled them to support local supermarkets, restaurants, take-a-ways and cafes across the county.
EQuIP prioritised supermarkets and food outlets based on the Warwickshire Annual Hate Crime Report (Published October 2017) which suggested certain people were being targetted within these settings.
People are often targetted as a result of their actual or percieved disability, mental health, race, religion, sexuality, gender identity or any other indivdual characteristic such as wearing ifferent clothing or having a different hair style (i.e. punks, goths, emo may fall under this definition).
EQuIP are working closely with various transport providers to support their staff to access hate crime awareness training which can be completed either online or at one of the many face-to-face workshops offered by EQuIP. The training enables staff to identify hate crime and know exactly where and how to report any incidents that may occur.
EQuIP have also developed a range of branded resources (i.e. posters, leaflets, business cards, window stickers...) which can be displayed in premises, bus stops, taxi ranks, train stations or in actual transport vehicles themselves.
The window sticker (Pictured centre) is an excellent way for local businesses to demonstrate their committment to safeguarding customers and promoting inclusion. It also sends a clear message to potential perpetrators that acts of hate will be identifyed and it will be reported.
Feedback from local businesses has been very positive and as a result of the support from Warwickshire's Police & Crime Commissioner, it is completely FREE for local transport providers.
For more information about EQuIP's Hate Crime Charter, please contact them via email: advice@equipequality.org.uk or telephone: 01788 863117. You can also visited their website via www.equipequality.org.uk.