Sutton police call to stamp out hate crime
4:02pm Monday 6th February 2012 in Where I Live By Sophia Sleigh
Police call to stamp out hate crime
Police are making it clear that hate crime is not tolerated in Sutton.
A Hate Crime Awareness evening was held at Sutton Police station organised by the Safer Sutton Partnership Service (SSPS) on Tuesday, January 24.
It called on all residents to help stamp out prejudice by reporting whenever they are a victim or witness to a hate incident.
Hate incidents cover any prejudice, insult or physical attack based on disability, gender identity, ethnicity, race, religion or sexual orientation Police in Sutton receive comparatively few crime reports of this nature which does not reflect the real frequency of hate incidents in our communities.
Acting Detective Inspector Janice Cawley at Sutton Police Station said it’s important for members of the public to report hate crime. She said: "If you don’t report it, we don’t know it’s happening. If we don’t know it’s happening then we can’t tackle it."
Offenders can expect to receive tougher sentences if they commit hate crimes against. This is because their impact of resonates far wider than on just the victim - creating distress and a fear of crime amongst local communities.
In an emergency hate crime can be reported to police by dialling 999. For a non emergency call dial 101.
If you don’t want to call the police, or if you want extra support, you can call the Stop Hate Line on 0800 138 1625.
You can also report a hate crime by text to: 07717 989 025 or by web chat at stophateuk.org/talk.
