Partnership works in fight on hate crime in Bristol
In Bristol, five people fall victim to hate crimes every day.
They are any offence committed against a person or property, motivated by a hatred of people because they are seen as being different.
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From April to December last year, there were 1,444 victims of attacks on the grounds of race, homophobia, gender, faith, disability, age or the fear of transsexuals or transvestites.
Figures released by Avon and Somerset Constabulary under the Freedom of Information Act show racism is by far the biggest motivation, accounting for 80 per cent of such offences.
Nine per cent were homophobic, five per cent targeted people with disabilities and 3.5 per cent were on the grounds of faith discrimination.
In South Gloucestershire, where Mr Tamang works, hate crimes are more uncommon, with 349 in total reported since April 2008.
But detection is more likely than ever, with almost seven out of 10 (67.4 per cent) hate crimes in the district being solved, compared to 42 per cent force-wide.
This is largely down to the Partnership Against Hate Crime (PAHC), which includes the police, South Gloucestershire Council, Victim Support, Support Against Racist Incidents (SARI) and Educational Action Challenging Homophobia.
As well as investigating crimes, raising awareness and supporting victims, the a case review panel meets every six weeks. Eight hate crime reporting centres, identified by the PAHC logo, have been set up too.
Detective Constable Liz Mildren said: "It's the wider work of all of the organisations together that can tackle these problems. We want every incident to be reported, no matter how minor it may seem. We've got to take positive action against hate crime.
"You can have victims of crime who may think it's happening 'because I'm gay, it's happening because I'm in a wheelchair or because I'm Asian and I'm the only Asian in my street'. These people need to let us know what is happening."
Tim House, Safer South Gloucestershire's Violent Crime Team leader, said some types of hate crime, such as disability and homophobia go under-reported and there could be many more silent victims.
He said: "It's about relationship building, trust and confidence. Often, people get so used to being bullied or treated a certain way it almost becomes like background noise to them."
As previously reported, a Hate Crime Scrutiny Panel is also held at the CPS offices in Bristol every three months. To report a crime call Avon and Somerset police on 08454 567000, or 999 in an emergency. South Gloucestershire Hate Crime Unit is on 01179 454218.
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by Jamie E, Stokes Croft
Sunday, March 21 2010, 4:33PM
“Helping and listening is fine, but that's what friends are for.
It shouldn't matter to the police or the courts if my friend took a beating for being black or bring an idiot. All that should matter is that he, for no reason, got beaten up.
This doesn't mean that prejudice is any less reprehensible, just that it's seen by the law as equal in severity to beating a person for any number of reasons.
At this time, a number of new special intrest groups are pushing to be included under the 'hate crime' laws to secure the enhanced protection the police and courts give, elderly groups, fat groups, even one for Ginger haired people (not sure how serious that one is, though)
Where does it end? With some types of hatred counted under as sticks and stones, with the rest ruthlessly persued by a constabulary desparate to appease the big lobby groups?
I'm not prepared to tollerate a lesser standard of justice to a member of the protected citizenry while being preached at by the government about fairness and social justice which is why I'm prepared to pretend to be a member of a protected group and lie to get the standards I not only deserve, but that I've paid for too.”
by hannah, bristol
Sunday, March 21 2010, 1:59PM
“Rod, I do not look at it as special interest cases,in the past people have suffered unnecessarily because they were Black, Gay, Disabled etc...etc.. these kind of harrassments or prejudice were kind of swept under the carpet, maybe by the offended person because they thought they would have no grounds to complain about it, these people are just getting the equal rights they deserve, and It is good for them to know that someone is willing to listen and help.”
by Rod, Southville
Sunday, March 21 2010, 1:08PM
“Aren't there already perfectly good laws against assault, threatening behaviour etc? This Hate Crime idea is basically offering a two-tier police service to their 'customers'.
So in the same vein as Jamie E's comment..if I get mugged surely the coppers will take more notice if I pretend to be gay?
A bit harder to pretend being black or disabled though. While the police allocate their resources to 'special interest' cases the whole justice system suffers.”
by hannah, bristol
Sunday, March 21 2010, 12:51PM
“Good Afternoon,Jamie, yes I do get what you say, but the instance you gave is one of a obvious racial attack on your black friend,(assuming the 'use your imagination' was supposed to be a replacement for a term thats derogatory to black people?
If it were a case of yourself and a black friend out walking and your friends perpetrator happened to call your black friend an 'idiot' then that cannot be deemed a racist, and this should not be seen in the courtroom as a racial hate crime just because he is called an idiot and happens to be black.”
by Jamie E, Stokes Croft
Sunday, March 21 2010, 11:45AM
“Morning Hannah,
Kinda what I'm saying.
Thousands of people have crimes commited against them because they're somehow different from the criminal.
The motivation behind the crime shouldn't be important - Only the crime itself.
Otherwise we find ourselves where in the situation that we've got now. Imagine a a black friend of mine and walking down Kingswood high St where we're assulted by a pair of chavs. One calls me a skinny suit wearing jock, the other calls my friend (use your imagination) We both recieve a beating of equal severity, but my perpetrator not only receives a lesser sentence, but is also (according to the stats inthe main article) has a smaller chance of being convicted than the guy attacking my friend.
We should all get the same chance of a conviction for crimes that the police treats equally seriously.
I remember a comment written in a Canadian newspaper last year from a guy asking for the same rights in the eyes of the law as a homosexual...”