Take a stand against hate

Greater Manchester’s Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd has urged all of the communities of Greater Manchester to stand together against hate crime.

He spoke as new figures revealed an increase of a third in hate crime reports across the board, with a startling increase in Islamophobic hate crime reporting of 96% over the past year.

There has been no spike in Islamophobic hate crime reports in Greater Manchester since the Paris attacks.

It is believed that much of the increase in hate crime reporting has been as a result of partnership working between police, agencies and communities to encourage people to come forward and report, although it is clear that global events over the past 12 months have had an impact on the dramatic increase in Islamophobic reporting.

Tony said: ““There’s no room for hate crime of any kind in Greater Manchester, whether it is motivated by Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, homophobia, transphobia or against disabled people or those who dress and act differently to others.

“But right now, in the light of what happened in Paris, it’s more important than ever for everyone in Greater Manchester to stand together against hatred. Whether we are Muslim, Christian, Jew, Sikh or atheist, whether we are male or female, whether or not we are trans, or disabled, or a goth, whether old or young – here in Greater Manchester we rightly take pride in living in a place that is diverse, exciting and cohesive.

“There are those who seek to divide, but the ties that bind us are stronger than their hate.

“We can be confident that when hate crime happens, as it sadly still does, that it will be taken seriously by police. Greater Manchester’s approach to hate crime is the gold standard; police, working closely with agencies and organisations across our conurbation, have transformed the way in which this dreadful blight is tackled. Working together in partnership, we can all play our part to eradicate hate crime.”

• There were 297 anti-Semitic hate crimes and incidents recorded between November 2014 and October 2015 (18% increase).
• There were 328 Islamophobic hate crimes and incidents recorded between November 2014 and October 2015 (96% increase).
• There were 4,592 hate crimes and incidents recorded between November 2014 and October 2015 (33% increase).

Hate crime is a crime committed against someone because of their disability, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender identity. In April, Greater Manchester Police also became the first police force in the UK to record alternative subculture hate crime which includes groups such as Goths, Emos, Punks and Metallers. Find out more at www.gmpcc.org.uk/hatecrime.

To report a hate crime contact the police on 101 or dial 999 where there’s a threat to life or a crime in progress. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or you can report it online at www.report-it.org.uk/home

You can also report hate crime at a third party reporting centre. These are independent, non-police centres that allow you to report incidents in complete confidence. If you’d rather not talk to anyone you can use a ‘self-reporting’ pack. Find a third party reporting centre in your area at www.gmpcc.org.uk/hatecrime.