Campaign relaunched to tackle hate incidents in Norfolk

With around 1,200 hate incidents taking place in Norfolk annually, officials have relaunched an initiative to tackle the ongoing issue.

A relaunch of the Stop Hate in Norfolk (SHIN) initiative has been updated for 2020, with a fresh new logo and an emphasis on making Norfolk as safe as possible.

Although physical violence, verbal abuse, online abuse are common, other forms of hate incidents are on the increase.

SHIN aims to encourage more people to report incidents of hate, which can take many forms, and to give them the confidence to come forward.

Snettisham resident and Norfolk's police and crime commissioner Lorne Green, said: “When I became PCC, I made it clear from day one that I would not tolerate any form of hate incidents.

"The only thing I hate is hate itself, and it is vital we unite together against hate incidents and continue to build on the good work which has taken place since the original launch of Stop Hate in Norfolk.

“We live in unsettling times and it is crucial people feel reassured and are confident to report what they have experienced and understand we will deal robustly with any individuals or groups committing such crime which can have an overwhelming impact on victims.

“I would also encourage people to look out for each other. If you see something which you feel is wrong, don’t ignore it, report it – only by working together can we help stamp out any hate and prejudice in Norfolk."

The county council has said there are roughly 1,200 hate incidents each year in the county but around 80 per cent of incidents of this nature are not reported.

Assistant Chief Constable Julie Wvendth said: "Since the launch of Stop Hate in Norfolk, we have been working closely with the county council to make it easier for people across all communities across the county to report hate incidents.

"Recent events have understandably brought into focus the inequalities and injustices that people experience across society and it is vital we continue to provide a service that all communities can have trust and confidence in.

"Hate incidents can have a devastating impact on victims, their families and the wider community but we also understand that some are not comfortable talking to the police directly.

"Stop Hate in Norfolk highlights the important role the public, private and voluntary agencies have in helping tackle hate crime by passing on any reports made to them to the police on behalf of the victim.

"Whilst victims are always encouraged to report hate incidents, we also want communities and neighbours to feel confident in calling out hate incidents.

"Together we can support all communities across the county and send a clear message that hate and prejudice will not be tolerated."

The partnership is encouraging Norfolk business to use free e-learning resources on hate incident reporting, so that they understand how they can help. With this course, employees and volunteers can learn about how they can prevent and report incidents of hate.

This can be accessed at www.norfolk.police.uk/stop-hate.

Councillor Margaret Dewsbury, cabinet member for communities and partnerships at Norfolk County Council, said: “We wanted to send a message of unity so that everyone knows that we will stand together to tackle hate incidents in Norfolk.

"There is absolutely no place for hate incidents of any kind in our society and we will continue to work together with our partners and the police to prevent incidents, to support victims and to make Norfolk as safe as possible place for everyone."

If anyone sees an incident of hate, they are urged to report it to Norfolk Police on their website norfolk.police.uk/stop-hate or call 07786 200777.