We are committed to tackling hate crime and we treat all hate crime seriously. This page gives guidance around what to do if you experience hate crime and how we can support you.
What is a hate crime?
A hate crime is any incident where someone is targeted because of their identity. Hate crime can take any shape and isn't always illegal behaviour, but it is always motivated by prejudice, often in the following areas:
- Race
- Religion
- Sexual orientation
- Disability
- Transgender
- Misogyny
- Alternative sub-culture e.g. goth
It can disguise itself under many different names (homophobia, Islamophobia or racism to name a few) but, whichever name it's taking, it's still wrong and we can take action against offenders. All hate crime is serious: everyone has the right to live their life without fear of prejudice, discrimination and hate.
Some hate crimes are obvious, such as openly racist attacks. Others are less obvious, such as name-calling, teasing and bullying. Some are aimed at whole communities, some are targeted at individuals. Some involve attacks on people or attacks on buildings. The important thing is that, if it's happening because of who you are, then it needs reporting.
How can I report a hate crime?
If you want to report a hate crime you can call 101, where you will be able to speak to a member of staff who can offer advice and take your report. If you're not comfortable speaking to someone directly, you can make a report online via the True Vision website.
In an emergency, always call 999. Remember, even if you don't think a crime has been committed, if you feel you've been targeted because of your identity then we would encourage you to report this.
If English isn't your first language, please still report the incident. We have interpreters for more than 100 languages available via telephone at all times of the day.
Nottinghamshire Police also has the Pegasus scheme which offers a greater number of ways to contact the police and helps individuals who may find the usual ways of reporting a crime difficult. You can either register online or by filling in an application form, which can be obtained by emailing pegasus@nottinghamshire.pnn.police.uk.
What happens when I report a hate crime?
Our number one priority is making sure you are safe.
We can help you get any emergency help or support that you need and then we'll make an appointment to come and meet you and get full details of the incident. If you feel that you have been targeted because of your identity, then we will treat it as a hate crime.
We will treat you fairly and with respect, but we'll also be honest and keep you informed with what's happening. Sadly, in some cases, there isn't enough evidence to find the offender but we will conduct a professional investigation and, if we can find the offender, we'll ask your opinion on what we do next.
If you agree, your local neighbourhood policing team will make regular contact with you to update you and check that you are okay. Your safety and well-being are our priority from beginning to end.
Sometimes people don't report a hate crime because they fear it will 'out' them. Rest assured, we will not look into your personal circumstances or question your reasons for being somewhere. Your report will be confidential and your case will be handled with the utmost discretion.
What should I do if I've been a victim of hate crime?
Aside from reporting it, there are a few things you can do to help us with our investigation:
- When you report the incident, make a note of the name of the person who comes to see you and the reference number.
- If anyone sees the incident, ask for their name and contact details so that we can speak to them directly.
- Write down what happens, noting the time, date and location.
- If anyone gets injured, make sure they get medical attention.
- Take photos of any damage.
- If social media is involved, either print the page or take a screenshot. Equally, if someone has been texting you with abusive messages, save them on to your phone.
- Keep tickets or receipts for any expenses.
What can be done about hate crimes?
It can be emotionally difficult to cope with a hate crime - after all, it's an attack on you as a person and it can leave people feeling scared and isolated. Sometimes, knowing what can be done about it can help.
We will investigate hate crimes using all of the powers available to us, including laws protecting you from personal and online abuse. This can lead to us making arrests and using bail conditions to keep you safe. It is also sometimes possible to get a bigger sentence for hate crimes at court.
We'll ask you some questions to find out how the incident has affected you and your family and, with your consent, we'll work with other agencies to help you feel safe, including support services for victims.
Hate Crime Guide
Share by emailNottinghamshire Police's Guide to Hate Crime.
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Established in July 2009, the Community Protection team is one of the Council's newest service areas, and has been developing ever since; moving from an initial emphasis of tackling on-street ASB through high visibility patrolling, to a more blended approach which not only seeks to confront issues head on, but also work with victims over time and build cases against offenders where necessary. In January 2014, a new post of Domestic Violence Prevention Officer was created, bolstering the team's efforts in this area.
Working alongside our partners we have made great strides in how we support victims and tackle offenders, using statutory powers whenever needed. There is however increasing demand for our assistance and our focus is therefore both on helping to solve immediate issues but also working to prevent recurrence.
The team tackle all aspects of anti-social behaviour and nuisance (including all forms of neighbour related ASB, and wider environmental issues such as waste on land and fly-tipping) and work across all domestic properties irrespective of tenure and public places. The Council is now looking at resources across the Council focusing upon the priority areas to ensure our communities with most challenging needs are strengthened and prosper whilst ensuring we work with our partners to achieve the sustainable improvements intended.
The Council is playing a lead role in the community safety partnership, facilitating the creation of a multi-agency hub within the Council building which will bring together colleagues from the police, Council, Probation and Victim Support. Our previous 'hub' was on a smaller scale and whilst this introduced many benefits including information sharing and partnership interaction, we are moving in a new direction towards service integration maximising our collective impact and making a greater and more positive difference for our residents.
Call: 01623 450 000
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Nottingham City Homes can help you if you are a tenant who is experiencing, or has experienced, hate crime. We work alongside the police and other agencies to help tackle hate crime and support those affected by it.
Our trained Housing Patch Managers can support you if you are having problems with neighbours and we can provided tenancy support and housing advice.
Email: reportasb@nottinghamcityhomes.org.uk
Call: 0115 915 2222
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As a fire service, our aim is to create safer communities. We do this by responding and reacting to the needs of our communities.
Our staff will promote reporting of hate crimes and, additionally, a number of our fire stations are registered as safe places, where vulnerable people with learning disabilities can go if they get into trouble or feel unsafe, frightened or bullied.
Email: Equalities@notts-fire.gov.uk
Call: 0115 838 8614 (Equality Development Officer)
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At Nottinghamshire Victim CARE we recognise people have different needs when trying to cope and recover from the impact of crime. Our service is free, confidential and completely independent. It is open to all residents of Nottinghamshire and you do not need to report the incident or crime to the police to get help.
We believe every single victim has a right to be heard and their needs looked after. We recognise that experiencing a hate incident or a hate crime can be a particularly frightening experience as you have been targeted because of who you are (or who your attacker thinks you are).
We provide a service that offers as much time as you need to recover. We will listen to you in confidence and can provide information, practical help (for example, advocacy with police and other agencies) and guidance. You will be offered a dedicated caseworker to support you for as long as you need.
We can help you to cope with the emotional effects of hate incidents and hate crimes as well as support you and other members of your family. We can give you information about the police and court procedures as well as support you with your dealings with other agencies.
Our mission is to provide whatever support you need to help you cope and recover from your ordeal.
Email: admin@nottsvictimcare.org.uk
Call: 0800 304 7575 (free phone number - lines are open between 8am and 8pm, Monday to Friday, and 9am and 5pm on Saturdays)
Twitter: @NottsVictimCare
Facebook: www.facebook.com/NottsVictimCare
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Nottingham Women's Centre is run by women, for women. We aim to help all women to gain the confidence and skills to achieve their potential and become stronger and more independent. We provide a safe and supportive environment in which women can do this, either by taking part in training or activities, getting support and services, or campaigning and becoming active in bringing about change. We've been around for more than 40 years.
Nottingham Women's Centre worked with Nottinghamshire Police to make misogyny a hate crime in Nottinghamshire. We encourage anyone who has witnessed or been a victim of a misogynistic incident to report it to the police by calling 101. You can also report online via the True Vision website.
If you don't want to report but you still want to speak about your experience, consider sharing your story with an online forum such as Everyday Sexism or Hollaback.
If you are receiving abuse on social media, click here to download our guide to removing unwanted content.
If you need support, please contact us so that we can direct you to the relevant support agencies. We are also interested to hear your experiences of reporting to Nottinghamshire Police so that this can continue to inform our work with them.
Email: admin@nottinghamwomenscentre.com
Call: 0115 941 1475
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Notts LGBT+ Network provides information and support to LGBT people in Nottinghamshire.
In terms of hate crime, we can provide:
Information relating to the reporting of hate crime.
- Signposting to the most relevant support services.
- An empathetic and confidential 'listening ear' by volunteers who are themselves from the local LGBT+ community.
- Training on LGBT awareness in the context of hate crimes against LGBT people.
The training can be general in nature or can be targeted towards the needs of specific groups, such as older or younger LGBT people. At the moment, this training is free (as it is sponsored by the Police and Crime Commissioner) and is available to organisations/groups which can provide a venue and gather a reasonable number of participants.
Email: info@nottslgbt.com
Call: 0115 934 8485 (calls taken from 7pm to 9.15pm, Monday to Friday. Outside of these times, you can leave a voicemail)
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We are a community group based in Stapleford, and our mission is to bring unity to the community.
Email: staplefordcommunitygroup@gmail.com
Call: 07740 344 427