Hate Crime is one thing Barking and Dagenham Council does not stand for and in its continued effort to reduce it in the borough, it is marking National Hate Crime Awareness Week.
Alongside the police, partner organisations and faith groups, the east London council is taking a clear stance, saying ‘We don’t stand for hate’ and is encouraging people to report hate crimes if they’ve been a victim or a witness to one.
What is hate crime? Hate crime is any crime that targets a person because of hostility or prejudice towards that person’s disability, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender identity.
This year, National Hate Crime Awareness Week runs from Saturday 14 October to Sunday 21 October and there are a few things that residents can do to get involved, including:
- Information stalls in Barking Market
- Online talk on how hate crime affects queer Muslims
- Finding out about the work that Stop Hate UK do
- Stop Hate UK training for frontline council stuff
More information on the above can be found on the council website.
Councillor Syed Ghani, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety said: “It’s not just during National Hate Crime Awareness Week that we stand up to hate crime, this is something we feel very strongly about all year round.
“We don’t expect anybody to suffer hate crime, so if you’re a victim or a witness, please always report it.”
In Barking and Dagenham, there are a range of support services available for people who have been victims or who witness hate crime, including a 24-hour confidential support service delivered by Stop Hate UK:
Telephone: 0800 138 1625
Text: 18001 0800 138 1625
Chat: www.stophateuk.org/talk
Online form: www.stophateuk.org/tell
For young people under the age of 18, there is also a 24-hour confidential service called ‘Call Out Hate’ that can be reached on:
Telephone: 0808 801 0576
Text: 07717989025
Website: www.callouthate.org
For more information on hate crime, head to www.stophateuk.org.