POLICE and Crime Commissioner for North Wales Andy Dunbobbin has given his full backing to the fight against hate crime in North Wales. This statement of support comes as the region marked National Hate Crime Awareness Week, which ran from October 11-18 across the UK to highlight this issue.
The week-long campaign founded in 2009, encourages Government, the Police, local councils, charities, and communities affected by hate incidents, to work together to tackle local hate crime across the UK. The importance of the week has been brought into even sharper focus by recent events nationally that have been fuelled by hate such as the attack on a Jewish congregation in Manchester and often driven by international conflicts such as those in the Middle East.
Against this backdrop of increasing intolerance, PCC Dunbobbin is more determined than ever to commit to the fight against hate crime. As such he is attending a number of events throughout the week to highlight the issue to the public and to engage with communities affected by hate crime. For example, the PCC is attended an event on October 13 hosted by charity, Bawso, in Colwyn Bay. Bawso provides practical and emotional prevention, protection and support services to Black Minority Ethnic (BME) and migrant victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, modern slavery and other crimes and marks its 30th anniversary this year. The event will serve to inform people about the work they do to create a Wales where all people live free from abuse, violence and are free from exploitation.
The office of the Police and Crime Commissioner will also be joining North Wales Police’s race stakeholder group meeting to discuss the community’s experience of hate crime, how Police can better respond to incidents and how events nationally have impacted experiences of hate crime local.
Andy Dunbobbin, Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales commented: “Every year Hate Crime Awareness Week marks an important time to take stock and reflect on the impact of hate crime within our communities.
“Over the past few years nationally we have seen a concerning rise in political narratives designed to provoke and stoke community tensions. This often becomes open hostility and leads to hate crime.
“The recent antisemitic terrorist attack in Manchester shows us only too clearly the increasing tensions that are being caused by rising hostility and conflict elsewhere in the world and the potential for this to impact us at home.
“But communities mired by tensions and hate crime cannot thrive. My goal is to promote cohesion and understanding among communities and to build trust in policing.
“I want people to know that they can and should report hate crime. Do not stay silent, the police are here to help, call out the hate.
“Nobody should live in fear of verbal and physical attack because of who they are. Every person’s story matters, and nobody should have to accept hateful words and actions as part of their lives.
“There is no room in the communities of North Wales for hate and hate crime will not be tolerated. We will stand up and challenge hate together. I would encourage anyone who has suffered Hate Crime to report it, so the Police can act on it.”
A hate incident is one in which the victim, or anyone else, thinks is based on someone’s prejudice towards them because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or because they are transgender.
If you need to report a hate crime you can contact North Wales Police by calling 101 (if you are in North Wales) or for information on other ways to report (including third party and anonymous reporting) go to the North Wales Police website.
Further information about hate crime can be found on the Advice and Information section of the Force website. Reports can be made to police via third party reporting agencies like Victim Support. These agencies assist those who would prefer not to deal directly with Police.
Remember if it’s an emergency always dial 999. Hate Crime is wrong. Don’t suffer in silence. Report it.
