Hate Crime Website

WEST Midlands Police has joined forces with ACPO to launch a national website to increase the reporting of hate crime, which includes an online form for victims to use.

The website, called True Vision, is supported by all police forces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and can be found at www.report-it.org.uk.

True Vision provides information for victims and the public about what hate crime is and why it is important to report it when it happens.

It also details the different ways hate crimes can be reported, including a secure online reporting form that allows victims and witnesses to tell the police about hate crimes. The facility automatically distributes reports to the relevant police force.

West Midlands Police lead on hate crime, Assistant Chief Constable Sharon Rowe, said: “Hate crimes cause a great deal of fear among victims and damage communities.

“While we are committed to reducing the incidence of hate crime, it is vital we close the gap of under-reporting. Only by increasing reporting can we gain a better understanding of the extent of hate crime and it is for this reason that I urge victims and witnesses to use the True Vision website and to continue to come forward so we can bring the perpetrators to justice.”

Professor John Grieve CBE, Independent Chair of the Government’s Hate Crime Advisory Group, said: “The UK is among world leaders in the way it responds to hate crime, but there is still much work to do. One of the greatest challenges is to reduce the under-reporting of hate crime.

“We welcome the government’s commitment to increase reporting and we will be examining this data in the forthcoming months and years to better understand the extent of hate crime and to challenge where performance does not meet the high standards that the public rightly demands of the criminal justice agencies.”

West Midlands Police believes the website will help increase the reporting of hate crime by building confidence in victims and offering a range of reporting options for victims who may not wish to talk directly to the police. It also provides links to a number of organisations who can offer support and advice on hate crime related issues.