Members
heard that this proactive scrutiny session would be focused on the
topic of ‘Hate Crime’. A scope for this review (see
Appendix One to Item Eight in the Minute Book) had been agreed by
the Plan working group, who had written to stakeholders in the
previous weeks to collate evidence (see Appendix Two to Item Eight
in the Minute Book).
The key questions asked of witnesses were:
1)
Since the publication of the Police and
Crime Plan in 2016, how successful do you feel the PCC has been in
his pledge to address hate crime? What changes have you observed,
since this time, in the approach to supporting victims and those
vulnerable to hate crime within our
communities?
2)
Are you aware of the current strategic
approach to policing hate crime? Can you identify any areas where
the policing provision, within Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, in
response to hate crime could be improved?
3)
How effective do you feel the PCC and his
office have been in engaging with partners to enhance the approach
to preventing hate crime and to encourage greater community
cohesion? What opportunities do you feel exist for greater
engagement?
4)
What engagement is currently being
undertaken with local residents and victim support groups to better
understand their concerns regarding hate crime? How could the PCC
support or improve the current approach?
5)
What do you think should be the
priorities for action to address hate crime and enhance community
cohesion within Hampshire and the Isle of Wight? What challenges
exist which could prevent or delay these actions from being
delivered?
6)
Are there any examples of successful
approaches in tackling, and supporting victims of hate
crimewhich you or your organisation
are aware of, either within Hampshire and the Isle of Wight or in
other areas?
7)
Is there anything further that you can
provide to the Panel that will assist us with our proactive
scrutiny of this topic?
It was heard that this proactive scrutiny session
would allow the Panel to scrutinise and support the Commissioner,
given his intention to prevent and tackle hate crime across
Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. This scrutiny would consider how
the Commissioner is listening to and engaging partners, community
associations and members of the public across the two counties in
efforts to enhance
outcomes for victims and to encourage them to come forward to
report their
concerns.
The review would also consider how
effectively the Commissioner is holding the Chief Constable to
account for policing strategy focussed upon tackling and preventing
hate crime.
Noting a refreshed layout for the
session, the Chairman invited Councillor Simon Bound, on behalf of
the Panel and the Panel’s Plan Working Group, who take a lead
for proactive scrutiny work, to act as facilitator for the
session.
Councillor
Bound explained that the oral evidence giving session would take
the format of a witness expert panel, with all representatives
present being given the opportunity to answer questions from the
wider Panel. Discussion was encouraged, and any questions that were
not answered on the day would be fed back to witnesses for a
written response after the meeting.
The expert witnesses were provided with the
opportunity to introduce themselves. Members heard:
- The Muslim
Council of Southampton (MCS) seeks to provide opportunities for
Muslim communities, particularly the young people within those
communities, and focusses upon supporting integration with the
wider community.
- KROMA aims
to empower LGBTI community through raising awareness, and
supporting inclusion.
- AGE UK IOW
are an independent charity which offers 26 different services for
those aged 50 and over living on the Isle of Wight. Highlighted was
the ‘Good Neighbour Scheme’ which has provided support
to older residents, many of whom had felt isolated and vulnerable.
After identifying that a significant cohort of those being
supported were members the LGBTI community, Age UK IOW received
funding from the OPCC to run specific services supporting the
LGBTQI community and those experiencing domestic
violence.
- Marcus
Cator, Hampshire Constabulary,
currently worked within the Portsmouth city area, and had spent the
last 18 months focussing upon community cohesion and hate
crime.
- Ranjeev Pathak
was leading the OPCC’s approach in tacking hate
crime.
The witness
panel were then asked a number of questions relating to the work of
the Commissioner in tackling and preventing hate crime. In
response to their questions Members heard:
Reporting
- Hate crime is
particularly harmful, as it as targeted at a person’s core
being. Anyone can be a victim of hate crime, and
identifying and supporting victims can be complex,
as many victims may have been targeted as a result of multiple
characteristics.
- Home
Office figures indicated that in 2016/17 police forces in England
and Wales recorded 80,393 hate offences, an increase of 29% on the
previous year. Whilst the Crime Survey
of England and Wales, using combined data from the survey estimated
that on average there were 222,000 hate incidents per year between
2012/13 – 2015/15. Hate Crime targeted at disabilities is of
particular concern, where only 1 in 34 incidents are reported to
the police.
- Age UK IOW
stated that a significant proportion of the LGBTI community on the
Isle of Wight had been secret for a long time. Reports to their
service have suggested that hate crime is a daily occurrence on the
island. Their service users suggested that a confidence gap exists
with the police, which may impact upon reporting.
- Victims
have reported that information captured from the initial report by
Hampshire Constabulary, through the contact centre, has not always
been correct. However reports have suggested that when an officer
from Hampshire Constabulary visits a victim the service received
was “superb”.
- Hampshire
Constabulary are undertaking a pilot, with funding from EU, to
enable their officers to be better equipped to respond to hate
crime incidents. The inventive approach will train officers using
an interactive suite of options, to help them to better understand
the impact they can make on the victim’s journey.
- It was
recognised as vital that statutory bodies and support services give
victims the confidence to come forward; with the knowledge and that
they will receive appropriate help and support. If all parties
demonstrate a determination to do this then it was felt hate crime
reporting should increase.
- Comparisons were made to domestic violence and sexual abuse,
where reporting had increased significantly in recent years,
following raised awareness which has encouraged victims to come
forward.
Councillor
Ken Muschamp left the meeting at this point.
Community Cohesion
- Community
cohesion and hate crime go hand in hand. Hate crime fractures
communities and it is recognised that our societies are not as
clear and cohesive as they need to be, and a lack of tolerance
exists within many communities. Once hate crime becomes normalised
within communities, environments become hostile and victims keep
quiet and are less likely to report incidents to the
police.
- Awareness
should not only be focussed on victims, but in helping people to
understand and appreciate the impact hate crime can have on
individuals.
- MCS
explained that the general feeling from their communities is that
nothing happens following abuse and it is being normalised and
accepted by vulnerable communities. Real fears are coming forth
from individuals who now won’t go outside of their homes for
risk of falling victim. To support and raise the confidence of
residents, MCS are working with Tell Mama to run safety
programmes.
- Nationally, anti-Semitic crime is increasing. To date the OPCC
have had very little engagement with Jewish community regarding
hate crime, and having recognised this as a concern are now seeking
to develop links with these
communities.
- Asylum
seekers and homeless persons awaiting their status are also an area
of concern, as many are too worried to report incidents of hate
crime in case it effects their immigration status
Rural Engagement
- The
written evidence received from a number of the rural areas and town
and parish councils suggested that hate crime wasn’t present
within their communities. This viewpoint suggested that further
awareness raising in these areas was a significant
priority.
- Whilst the
characteristics, which may see people falling victim to hate crime
might be different in rural communities, the potential for hate
crime is still present. It was recognised that messages to rural
populations may need to differ to those in other, more urban areas
to help residents understand and be more aware of different forms
of hate crime.
- In
particular it was felt that the higher proportion of more elderly
residents within rural communities may be contributing to this lack
of awareness, as views which were once socially accepted now need
to be challenged, particularly where hate crime may stem from such
views.
- The OPCC
suggested that the Panel’s scrutiny has highlighted this is a
real issue, much greater than was recognised. Whilst urban areas
are engaged in tackling hate crime it appears that rural
communities need greater support in doing so.
- The Isle
of Wight was regarded as having come a long way over the previous
year, in terms of awareness and tolerance and cultural awareness.
Age UK explained that have a good footprint on the island and that
the good neighbour scheme has been a significant contributing
factor in improvements. The scheme created a safe place where
individuals felt comfortable in disclosing concerns they
hadn’t felt able to before.
Wider impacts
- The issues
impacting upon hate crime are wider than concerns regarding
reporting. Political issues, such as Brexit, and counter-terrorism
approaches, such Prevent, have had a negative impact within certain
communities and fuelled an increase in hate crime.
- The role
of the media and social media was recognised in fuelling hate
crime, particularly in the impact felt by the Muslim
community.
- Recently
media reported letters sent anonymously threatening a “Punish
a Muslim Day” on 3rd April. MCS noted that they had received
a letter of support from Hampshire Constabulary, although had not
received any communication from local authorities.
- MCS
expressed that they have a very good relationship with Hampshire
Constabulary and that they share and receive information from the
Constabulary at their quarterly meeting.
Community remedy
- Most
victims of hate just want it to stop. They don’t want to go
to court they just want to live their lives and to have tolerance
within their communities.
- Hate crime
is a challenging area, like domestic abuse, in that permission has
to be sought from the Crown Prosecution Service to bring forward a
charge and out of court disposals options are very limited. The
Director of Public Prosecution is currently looking at the use of
conditional cautions in case of hate crime.
- The use of
restorative justice is also difficult because, in order for it to
be effective, it would need offenders to change their fundamental
beliefs.
- Within
certain communities elements of restorative justice may be
accessible, through the use of mediation and conflict resolution by
community leaders.
- Parental
impact on person’s fundamental beliefs can be very
significant, as can peer pressure. Criminalisation of children, as
a result of these formed beliefs is of key concern, particularly
with the lack of other out of court disposals.
Third Party Reporting Centres
- The
McPherson review in 1998 had demonstrated that victims of hate
crime were not, at that time, confident in reporting their concerns
directly to the police. The report recommended that there should be
access for victims to be able to make an independent report of
crime, 24 hours a day.
- Across
Hampshire and Isle of Wight the number of independent hate crime
reporting centres had grown from three to 49, with hopes to
increase this number in the future. Whilst these reporting centres
were geographically spread, there was a more significant
concentration of centres along the south coast, with 20 based
within in Southampton and a further 20 provided across the two
counties within local Citizen Advice Bureaus. The OPCC provides
support to these reporting centres through the provision of
literature and access to training
provided by Hampshire Constabulary. The longer term vision of the
Commissioner was, to avoid isolation, to join-up the work of all
the reporting centres as one wider scheme.
- It is
hoped that a similar model of third party reporting centres,
currently in place across Southampton, can be replicated within the
Portsmouth area.
- KROMA are
one of those third party reporting centres and demonstrates that
you don’t need to have a specifically physical location to be
a reporting centre. Currently reporting is available at any one of
KROMA’s five meet up groups and they also have a facility for
members of the LGBTI community to call or email them to make a
report.
- Local
Citizen Advice Bureaus were recognised by the OPCC as ideal
locations for third party hate crime reporting, as people talk to
them about wider issues affecting them allowing staff an
opportunity to identify further concerns, including hate
crime.
- Eastleigh
Borough Council had become a third party reporting centre and the
OPCC hoped all councils, across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight,
might consider become third party reporting centres, as a central
safe environment which is easily accessible by
residents.
Councillor
Steve Clarke and Councillor David Stewart left the meeting at this
point.
Partnership
- It was
agreed that a partnership approach was vital in order to address
Hate Crime and that partners needed to come forward with a
commitment to addressing concerns and breaking down silo
working.
- It was
also felt important that partners mainstream hate crime and make it
a thread across everything they do.
- Local
Authority websites had been observed to have little information on
hate crime, or signposts available to those seeking
support.
- Communities were part of the solution and were a key partner in
prevention of hate crime. It was felt important for support
services to understand the hierarchy in ethic cultures and within
different communities. Without this understanding, support offered
may be presented in a way that is unwelcomed, and therefore reduce
community engagement.
Councillor
Bound closed the session by thanking the witnesses for the evidence
they had provided. He further explained that the Panel’s
conclusions will be summarised and recommendations to the
Commissioner will be brought to the next Panel meeting in July
2018.