Advice from Safer students: What hate crime is and how to report it

West Midlands Police are aware that the Israel-Hamas conflict has a far-reaching impact on our communities across the West Midlands and we will continue to reassure and protect our communities.

We are working hard to keep you safe by doing the following:

• We have increased patrols across parts of the region to provide a visible presence and reassurance to our communities
• We are working with partners to listen to local concerns and continuously assess the impact on communities to ensure those who live, work and study within them feel safe
• Additional officers have been deployed to key locations to reassure those who live, work or study nearby; to prevent crime; and to ensure an efficient response to any incidents which are reported.

We are aware that there has been an increase in incidents of hate crime and you may be feeling worried at the moment. We want to reassure you that behaviour that crosses the line into criminality will not be tolerated and we will take the strongest action against perpetrators of hate crime because we know that it has a devastating impact on individual victims and targeted communities.

Everyone has a right to live their life, and practice their religion, without the fear of targeted abuse for who they are, either physically or verbally; and we will always seek to protect that right. Antisemitism and racial and faith-based discrimination will not be tolerated in any form.

What is a hate crime?

A hate crime is a criminal offence that is motivated by hostility and prejudice towards somebody because of their gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, race, religion or belief.

Hate crimes can include:

• Verbal abuse
• Physical assault
• Online abuse
• Sexual assault
• Harassment
• Damage to property
• Bullying or threatening behaviour
• Inciting others to commit hate crimes

Anyone can be a victim of hate. These crimes can also take place anywhere – at home, out in public, online, at work or at university.

How to report a hate crime

If you experience or witness a hate crime or incident, you can:

• Call 999 if you feel you are in danger, threats have been made against you or if a crime is in progress
• Call 101 for non-emergencies
• Use textphone 18001 101 if you’re deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired
• Webchat with us at west-midlands.police.uk
• Visit your local police station
• Report it online via report-it.org.uk.

Alternatively, you can report it at a Third Party Reporting Centre. These are community locations where you can report hate crimes or incidents without having to contact the police directly. You can find out more about Third Party Reporting Centres and where your nearest ones are, here.

Remember – it’s important to also be an upstander, not a bystander. If you witness a hate crime or incident, make sure to report it. Not only will this help us deal with the incident, but reporting to the police will help us understand the extent of hate crime in your local area, so we can improve how we tackle and prevent future incidences.

To find out more about your options and support available, visit: www.west-midlands.police.uk/your-options/hate-crime/