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Why should you report?

Don't be afraid, speak up - silence hides hate

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When you report hate crime, you become part of the movement to stop it. No matter how small or trivial you think the incident might be, it is important to the whole community that it is acknowledged and reported.

Every report builds up a picture of what is really going on in your local area, showing patterns of behaviour against a certain group or by particular individuals.

The more that local agencies like the Police and Councils know, the better they can educate, inform and protect everyone in the area.

Reasons to report hate crime

There are lots of reasons that it’s important to report a hate crime incident, one of the most important being that when you report, you will get access to special support and advice to help you feel safe and secure again.

You might not know if the incident is a criminal offence, or you may think it’s not serious enough to be reported, but even if your report doesn’t lead to a prosecution, there are other things that can be done to help you deal with the incident.

Some hate crimes start as smaller incidents which may escalate into more serious and frequent attacks, so every report matters - even if you think it’s not that significant.

When you report, you might even be helping to prevent these incidents from happening to someone else.

Your report will be taken seriously and will receive a response. You don’t have to just accept that “these things happen”, they shouldn’t, and with your report you can help stop it happening again.

If you don’t want to speak to the police you can report anonymously online through this website. There are also other specialist voluntary agencies such as Victim Support and Crimestoppers who will record incidents without using your name. Personal data can only be shared if you have given authorisation.

Hate crime creates fear and humiliation. Reporting can help you take back control and will make a difference - to you, your friends, and your life.

When something is classed as a hate crime, the judge can impose a tougher sentence on the offender.

Reporting gives more accurate information for the police and local partners to use to improve their responses to hate crimes.

It is vital to challenge attitudes and behaviours that endorse hatred towards anyone perceived as ‘different’.

If you’re being repeatedly harassed, should you report all the incidents?

If you’ve experienced hate crime, it may have been just one isolated incident. But sometimes, you may be repeatedly harassed by the same person or group of people. It’s best to report every hate incident you experience to build a full picture of what’s happening to you and it may be a good idea to keep a personal record of the incidents for your own records too. A log for you to use to record incidents can be downloaded from our resources section.

You don’t have to accept it, make a report and get access to the support you deserve.

What do we do with hate crime data?

When you report through this site, the data is shared and reviewed by the County Hate Crime Group, Community Safety Partnerships and the Safe Warwickshire Partnership Board as well as the relevant Hate Incident Partnership Panels (HIPPs) for the local area. These groups:

Don't be afraid, speak up - silence hides hate

report hate now