Module Name: Community Policing Priorities by Abi

(1)

abigailhaigh — 2024-01-16 09:25:09 UTC

The mission of the police is to ensure communities remain safe, protecting residents who live within them from crime and ensure offenders are bought to justice (National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), 2016). This report will consider and assess the impact of hate crime within the community and how its incidence impacts on policing priorities.

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-16 09:34:31 UTC

The report will consider Home Office and National Policing Hate Crime Strategy that informs local policing priorities; including legislation and sentencing powers, improvements to increase reporting and investigation of offences. Ongoing efforts to understand why offences are perpetrated and improvements to education that challenge prejudice (Home Office, 2016).

(3)

abigailhaigh — 2024-01-16 09:42:52 UTC

It will evaluate how the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and City of London police (CoLP) respond and apply the strategy within their own organisations; consider collaborative working with partners, charities, and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to apply the framework of legislation, prosecute and sentence offenders (CPS, 2024).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-16 09:54:15 UTC

3. Reduce under-reporting

Encourage victims and make it more accessible to report hate crime e.g. via downloadable phone apps. Making sure police are trained and forces have specialist hate crime officers (NPCC, 2024). Identify alternative locations to report hate crime like community centres and improve accessibility options for disabled victims.

Work with CPS to raise awareness of successful prosecutions.

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-16 09:58:20 UTC

4. Improved victim support

Improve victim support services, establish roles that helps victims report allegations, using multi-agency partnerships such as Community Alliance to Combat Hate (CATCH). Improved use of Victim and Community Impact Statements and witness care throughout the court process. Working with Race Equality Councils to reinforce the victims voice (Ministry of Justice, 2024).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-16 10:02:04 UTC

It is clear both MPS and CoLP take hate crime seriously adapting to the challenge it presents. Both are improving training, development and awareness across their respective forces and within the communities they protect implementing strategies working with partners and charities to identify solutions.

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-16 11:54:02 UTC

2. Responding to hate crime in communities

Work with community groups like GALOP providers of victim support, identify and sharing solutions to problems through charities and criminal justice agencies. Use advertising campaigns to raise awareness.

Tackling hate crime on public transport, the Nighttime Economy (NTE) and Online, working closely with partners such as British Transport Police (BTP), public transport providers and charities e.g. Drinkaware Club Crew and Tell MAMA.

Work with internet providers to tackle online hate through Cyberhate working group, restrict sharing of online hate material. The National Policing Digital strategy 2020-2030 supports digital technology to identify harm and to protect the vulnerable through the application of digital technology (NPCC, 2020).

Improve accurate recording of online hate crime.

(5)

abigailhaigh — 2024-01-16 13:28:17 UTC

Hate crime can be defined as any criminal offence that a victim perceives is motivated by, or at the time demonstrates prejudice towards, one of the following five protected characteristics: Race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity, and disability (HM Government, 2024).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-16 13:35:57 UTC

This is an ongoing journey that both the police and the whole of the population has something to contribute. Hate crime can have considerable negative impact on victims due to the very personal nature of the offence. Further work needs to be done to prevent its existence, ensuring more victims have the confidence to come forward and report offences (Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, 2022).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-17 14:56:03 UTC

There are many measures and tools available to assist forces in dealing with hate crime that has been borne from the significant increases in hate crime incidents highlighted over the last 10 years. It is evident from the research and analysis that demographic factors such as ethnic diversity, resident populations will also play a part in the levels of hate crime.

Given that the MPS has 25% of the UK police budget and 35,000 officers, they are well funded and equipped to be able to deal with hate crime. CoLPS demography of a low resident population and transient workforce provides a unique challenge, however, CoLPS size makes it more flexibility to make changes, despite having a disproportionate budget and vastly lower number of officers, strong leadership is key.

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-17 15:04:23 UTC

Overwhelmingly, the greatest motivating factor for all recorded hate crime is racism, remaining consistently high over the decade, but all types of hate crime have increased (Home Office, 2023).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-18 16:27:53 UTC

The victim impact can be profound, causing emotional trauma, leaving victims questioning their identity (Neighbourhood Watch, 2024).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-18 17:01:55 UTC

It indirectly impacts communities, threatening cohesion, leading to increasing feelings of fear and vulnerability; undermining trust in policing and the criminal justice response to its incidence (Brown et al, 2018) as highlighted by the murder of Stephen Lawrence (College of Policing (COP), 2014).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-19 13:36:26 UTC

However, measures taken to address the issue include legislation under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, creating offences covering assaults, public order and incitement of racial hatred e.g. chanting at football matches (GOV, 2024). Hate crime perpetrated online creates further challenges, legislation such as the Malicious Communications Act 1988 can be applied.

Legislation used with the Sentencing Act 2020 permits greater sentencing powers, reflecting the harm and damage hate crime invokes acting as a strong deterrent (CPS, 2022).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-19 16:10:08 UTC

Recent data, highlights the increasing number of recorded incidents; whilst this indicates improvements in crime reporting, it simultaneously highlights its prevalence (Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, 2022).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-21 11:53:16 UTC

Additionally, it will consider factors that impact the incidence of hate crime such as demography and provide analysis of data relevant to these forces. Hate crime statistics help provide a clearer picture of how extensive the issue of hate crime is to illustrate how tolerant society is on the issue of diversity (Pont, 2022).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-21 16:04:33 UTC

Hate crime has not been defined in law and there is no single piece of legislation that criminalises hate crime (Her Majesty’s Inspectorate Constabulary, Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), 2018).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-22 17:40:52 UTC

The UK strategy highlights five key areas:

1. To prevent hate crime

Early intervention through education, speaking to young people in schools, challenging prejudice, and racism. Using charities such as Streetwise to tackle anti-Muslim and antisemitism and Sophie Lancaster Foundation to reduce hostility (Streetwise, 2024).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-22 23:12:19 UTC

5. Improve understanding of hate crime

Improve knowledge on the cause and impact, collaborate with researchers and academics such as International Network for Hate studies to analyse data and patterns (International Network for Hate Studies (INHS), 2013).

The Strategic Policing requirement (SPR), Policing Vision and COP guidance reflect themes from the National Hate crime strategy. The SPR emphasises the need to maintain focus on neighbourhoods policing and close collaboration with partners. Maintaining visible presence to help the public feel confident in policing (Home Office, 2023). This is reiterated in the Policing Vision, that highlights the need for a tailored response to public protection based on communities and evidence base. Collaboration with forces, partners, and communities to reduce crime and pooling resources. Exploiting digital capability, making it easier for the public to communicate with police (NPCC, 2016).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-25 00:53:18 UTC

Based on Home Office reports there is no single data source for hate crime, data is obtained through a combination of police recorded crime and Crime Survey of England & Wales (CSEW). Each has advantages and disadvantages, e.g. CSEW provides greater accuracy on long term trends. Whilst police recorded data includes public order offences, which represents half of all hate crime committed (Zayed., Y & Allen., G., 2024).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-25 01:10:38 UTC

In the last decade hate crime across England and Wales has increased dramatically from 42,255 in 2012 to 155,841 in 2023. The MPS has seen a significant increase from 10,371 recorded in 2012 to 24,612 in 2023. Over the same time period CoLP recorded 163, an increase from 78 (Home Office, 2023).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-25 01:18:31 UTC

The strategy that deals with hate crime is national; each police force is unique and will adapt their response to crime and policing matters differently (Full Fact, 2024).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-25 01:49:54 UTC

CoLP responds in several different ways; for serious hate crime they have a dedicated Public Protection Unit to pursue offenders and investigate offences (CoLP, 2022).

Day to day, the Communities team having increased in size from 12-18 dedicated ward officers are responsible for raising awareness and reporting hate crime; organising events like Hate Crime awareness week, using social media to improve and promote awareness (Horsburgh, M. (2023).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-25 01:53:33 UTC

The predominant population ethnicity in the City is white representing 69% (Varbes, 2023).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-25 01:56:43 UTC

In comparison to MPS, CoLP is unique with a different crime profile compared to the national picture (CoLP, 2023) covering an area of 1.12 square miles, home to 8000 residents.

With daily commuters this can swell to half a million people with another ten million annual visitors (City of London Corporation, 2024).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-25 02:38:51 UTC

Digital improvements include improved reporting mechanisms making it easier for victims to report by phone, text, online or in person; the CoLP website provides details of charities they work with that support victims who prefer to remain anonymous and make third party reports (CoLP, 2024).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-25 02:55:40 UTC

Setting up stands during Hate Crime Awareness Week, continually engaging and developing relationships within the community (City of London Corporation, 2023) and through its education programme in City schools (Horsburgh, M. (2023).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-25 02:58:05 UTC

Whilst hate crime in the city is low, usually limited to racially aggravated public order, improvements to the force response are ongoing, including incorporating risk assessments when crimes are raised to provide opportunity for greater victim safeguarding. Creating a more consistent investigative approach to reported incidents a twenty point action plan for investigators to follow has been introduced. (Horsburgh, 2023).

Improvements are being reinforced with the development of training packages for both officers and call handlers (Horsburgh, 2023) and the creation of Hate crime Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) (CoLP, 2024).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-25 03:00:30 UTC

CoLP shares best practice as a member of the Southeast Region Hate Crime Group, benchmarking themselves against other forces for scrutiny and improvement (Horsburgh, 2023).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-25 03:29:02 UTC

In line with national strategy, CoLP ensures staff are trained in the Victims Code, actively seeking feedback to continually review performance; officers also receive unconscious bias training. CoLP aims to have an approachable policing style reflecting the diversity of the city to respond to community needs, improving engagement and increasing legitimacy (CoLP, 2022).

Mandatory leaflets are being introduced to guide victims to specialist services such as Stop Hate and True Vision online reporting portal. CoLP has a Vulnerable Victim Advocate (VVA) who can provide individual emotional and practical support (Horsburgh, M. (2023).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-25 15:54:07 UTC

CoLP works in partnership with City of London Corporation (COLC) Police Authority Board promoting hate crime awareness (COLC, 2023). They have the Safer City Partnership (SCP), collaborating with statutory partners such as BTP, Probation Service, Social Housing, and voluntary organisations to reduce crime and harm (SCP, 2022).

SCP recognises hate crime as a strategic priority and its significant impact on victims; they provide direction and identify steps to tackle hate crime, collaborating with partners such as Victim Support, Stop Hate UK, GALOP, Equality Advisory Support Service and Disability Rights (SCP, 2022).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-26 00:37:57 UTC

MPS covers 620 square miles, has a residential population of nine million increasing with daily visitors, with 287 ethnic groups it is one of the most ethnically diverse places in the UK (Trust for London, 2023).

MPS has 35,000 police officers supported by police staff and Police Community Support Officers (PCSO) and is allocated 25% of the total police budget for the whole of England and Wales (Metropolitan Police (MP), 2024).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-26 00:41:35 UTC

MPS response to hate crime highlighted in their 2018-25 strategy is clear, their mission “To keep London safe for Everyone”. Hate crime is a key priority, the aim to reduce it and build public confidence (MP, 2018).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-26 01:23:31 UTC

MPS focuses on having a visible Neighbourhood policing presence responding to issues impacting the community, with over 1700 neighbourhood officers covering the MPS area. Hate crime has become everyday business for MPS officers including on Response and Safeguarding Teams ( MPS. 2019).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-26 01:38:52 UTC

MPS responds to increasing levels of hate crime and the need to improve victim support by working in partnership with partners including the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) who has commissioned CATCH a group of charities who provide victim support (CATCH, 2024).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-26 02:16:37 UTC

Following MET Police 2017 strategy, MOPAC introduced a hate crime dashboard monitoring hate crime offending across the London area. MOPAC have also funded grass root projects to improve community cohesion and National Hate Crime Awareness week (MOPAC, 2023).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-26 02:47:05 UTC

Digital tech is being used to bring offenders to justice with the creation of the Online Hate crime hub specialising in investigating online hate (Mayor of London, 2017), that uses data analytics to try and identify offenders (Burgess, 2016).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-26 03:08:12 UTC

Following the Palestine protests the MET deployed, to work with different ethnic groups to prevent hate crime offences using technology to track suspects and retrospective facial recognition cameras to identify them (MET, 2023).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-26 03:49:48 UTC

In order to prevent hate crime Mayor of London works with faith groups to provide resilience training course that aim to protect places of worship (Greater London Authority, 2023).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-26 16:07:01 UTC

METS Strategy for Inclusion, Diversity and Engagement (STRIDE) seeks to reflect the ethnically diverse community it polices to improve trust. Officers and staff participate in online learning and workshops that focus on valuing difference and building connections (MP, 2021).

Safer Schools Officers visit establishments providing education material to raise awareness of the impact of hate crime on victims and the community, simultaneously developing relationships (Mayor of London, 2017).

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-26 16:55:47 UTC

References

Brown, R., Walters, M., Paterson, J. (2018). How hate crime affects a whole community. BBC. How hate crime affects a whole community - BBC News

(Burgess, M. (2016). Met Police’s £1.7 m hate crime unit to tackle social media. Wired. Police create hate crime unit to police social media | WIRED UK

CATCH. (2024). Communities Against Hate. (CATCH- Communities against Hate | Support | Advice | London (catch-hatecrime.org.uk )

COP. (2014). National Hate Crime Strategy 2014. https://library.college.police.uk/docs/college-of-policing/National-Policing-Hate-Crime-Strategy.pdf ?

COLP. (2022). City of London Policing Plan 2022-2025. City of London Policing Plan 2022 to 2025

COLP. (2023). City of London Police Annual report 2022-23. PowerPoint Presentation (cityoflondon.police.uk )

CoLP. (2024). How to report hate crime. How to report hate crime | City of London Police

COLP. (2024). Neighbourhood policing and Engagement Strategy. Neighbourhood Policing and Engagement Strategy 2024-2025 (cityoflondon.police.uk )

City of London Corporation. (2023). Hate Crime Awareness Week. Hate Crime Awareness Week: City policing head urges public to call out hate crime (cityoflondon.gov.uk )

City of London Corporation. (2024). Our role in London. Our role in London - City of London

City of London, SCP. (2022). Crime, Disorder and Community Safety Strategic Assessment. SCP Strategic Assessment 2022.pdf (cityoflondon.gov.uk )

City of London, SCP. (2022). Community Safety Strategy. SCP Strategy 2022-2025 (cityoflondon.gov.uk )

CPS. (2022). Public Statement on prosecuting racist and religious hate crime. Public statement on prosecuting racist and religious hate crime | The Crown Prosecution Service (cps.gov.uk )

CPS. (2022). Racist and Religious Hate Crime – Prosecution Guidance. Racist and Religious Hate Crime - Prosecution Guidance | The Crown Prosecution Service (cps.gov.uk )

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-26 16:56:46 UTC

References Continued.

Full Fact. (2024). How the Police service works. Full Fact

GOV.UK. (2024). Code of Practice for Victims of crime in England and Wales (Victims Code). Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales (Victims' Code) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk )

Greater London Authority. (2023). Community Resilience for Faith Communities. Community Resilience for Faith Communities | London City Hall

Home Office. (2023). The Strategic Policing Requirement. Strategic Policing Requirement (publishing.service.gov.uk )

HM Government. (2024). Hate Crime. Hate Crime

HMICFRS. (2018). Understanding the difference. understanding-the-difference-the-initial-police-response-to-hate-crime.pdf (justiceinspectorates.gov.uk )

Horsburgh, M. (2023). City of London Police Vulnerability Deep Dive. Committee Report Template (cityoflondon.gov.uk )

Home Office. (2016). Action Against Hate. The UK Governments plan for tackling hate crime. Action Against Hate. The UK Government's plan for tackling hate crime (publishing.service.gov.uk )

Home Office. (2023). Hate Crime England & Wales 2022 to 2023. hate-crime-england-and-wales-2022-to-2023-data-tables-second-edition.ods (live.com )

INHS. (2013). About Us. About Us - The International Network for Hate Studies (internationalhatestudies.com )

GOV. (2024). Crime and Disorder Act 1998. Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (legislation.gov.uk )

Mayor of London. (2017). A Hate crime reduction strategy. mopac_hate_crime_reduction_strategy.pdf (london.gov.uk )

Mayor of London. (2017. Mayor launches new unit to tackle online hate crime. Mayor launches new unit to tackle online hate crime | London City Hall

Metropolitan Police. (2023). Policing Operation. Met releases details of policing operation ahead of further protests | Metropolitan Police

Metropolitan Police. (2019). Metropolitan Police Service. metropolitan-police-service-information-pack.pdf

Metropolitan Police. (2024). Structure. The structure of the Met and its personnel | Metropolitan Police

Metropolitan Police. (2021). STRIDE. The MET’s Strategy for Inclusion, Diversity and Engagement. The Met’s Strategy for Inclusion, Diversity and Engagement (STRIDE) 2021-2025

Metropolitan Police. (2018). Keeping London Safe. the-mets-direction---our-strategy-2018---2025.pdf

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abigailhaigh — 2024-01-26 16:57:26 UTC

References Continued

MOPAC. (2023). Reporting Hate Crime. Reporting hate crime | London City Hall

Ministry of Justice. (2024). Victims of crime: Understanding your rights. Victims Code - Crime Leaflet (publishing.service.gov.uk )

Neighbourhood Watch. (2024). Impact of Hate Crime. Impact of hate crime | Neighbourhood Watch Network (ourwatch.org.uk )

NPCC. (2016). Policing Vision 2025. policing_vision_2025.pdf (college.police.uk )

NPCC. (2020). National Policing Digital Strategy 2020-2030. National-Policing-Digital-Strategy-2020-2030.pdf (pds.police.uk )

NPCC. (2024). Report a hate crime. Report a hate crime - True Vision (report-it.org.uk )

Pont, M. (2022). Hate crime in England & Wales statistics. Office for statistics regulation. Mark Pont to Amy Baxter: Hate crime in England and Wales statistics – Office for Statistics Regulation (statisticsauthority.gov.uk )

Streetwise. (2024). Antisemitism and Discrimination. Antisemitism & Discrimination | streetwise (streetwisegb.org )

Trust for London. (2023). Census 2021 deep dive: ethnicity and deprivation in London. Census 2021 deep dive: ethnicity and deprivation in London | Trust for London

UN. (2019). Hate speech versus freedom of speech. Hate speech versus freedom of speech | United Nations

Varbes. (2023). Demographics of City of London. City of London Demographics | Age, Ethnicity, Religion, Wellbeing (varbes.com )

Zayed., Y & Allen., G. (2024). Hate Crime Statistics. CBP-8537.pdf (parliament.uk )