Southmead has 'one racist claim a week'
A Bristol organisation that helps victims of race hate dealt with 52 cases in Southmead in a year – an average of one a week.
The figure was more than in any other area of Bristol, residents were told.
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Southmead has 'one racist claim a week'
Batook Pandya, director of SARI (Support Against Racist Incidents), told a meeting on the estate last night he was glad the BBC's Panorama programme focusing on the area had been made as it put race back on the agenda.
He said: "Never have I said that the whole of Southmead is racist – a small number of people are racists.
"We are getting a lot of incidents there. There is an issue and we can't bury our heads in the sand."
Mr Pandya, who was among 50 people at the Partners and Community Together meeting, revealed the number of complaints about racial harassment for other areas.
Between April 1, 2008, and March 31, 2009, SARI handled 24 cases from Hartcliffe, 10 in Henbury, 19 in Fishponds, 30 in Easton, one each in Cotham, Coombe Dingle and Shirehampton, six each in Old Market and Sea Mills, 13 in Speedwell and four in Clifton.
Many people felt the BBC programme painted an unfair picture of Southmead and ignored all the good things that were happening.
But Lydia Suleaudu, 43, a business enterprise student at the University of the West of England, said it "enlightened the whole world to what ethnic minorities are suffering."
Ms Suleaudu, who lives in Ringwood Crescent, Southmead, said she had suffered years of racial harassment ranging from name calling and intimidation to windows being smashed and the police had done nothing about it.
A mother-of-five, who is also black but asked not to be named, stood up and said: "I have been living in Southmead since 1969 and I have never had anything to complain about."
It emerged that a small number of children and teenagers were responsible for most of the complaints about anti-social behaviour.
A white resident of Southmead Road, who did not wish to be named, said: "Me and my family were victims of anti-social behaviour.
"The police did put a stop to it but the depressing thing is the length of time it takes to get anything done.
"It took three to six months to see action. The process has to be shortened."
Inspector Mark Runacres, who has responsibility for the Southmead area, said hate crime was taken seriously and in the 12 months to October the neighbourhood team had dealt with 30 reported cases.
He said there were two arrests the morning after the Panorama programme, showing incidents where two undercover Asian reporters were harassed and attacked, was screened.
"Early the next morning two individuals were arrested and subsequently released on police bail. We then reviewed any evidence against other people in the programme."
A group called Planet Southmead has been launched for people of all races and a diary of social events is to be published to encourage people to get to know each other.
15 Comments
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by Jay, Horfield
Friday, October 23 2009, 10:12PM
“Going to Police is waste of time, if I had a choice where I want to pay part of my tax, police will be the last department on the list. When I had problem they told me to go to SARI, instead of acting on the issue.”
by Nelson, Bristol
Friday, October 23 2009, 6:47PM
“I'm absolutely certain that Batook Pandya, director of SARI is happy that racism is once more on the agenda beacsue he need it to be to justify the existence of SARI and his own job.
He should be digusted that racism is on the agenda because it only strengthens the wider belief that a multicultural society will never work, never has in the past, present, nor will in the future. the whole point of cultures is that they are diverse, usually geographically miles aprt and should be left that way. A multicultural society simply wipes diversoty from the landscape and makes for an uninteresting and fractured society with no individual identity.Its the equivalent of wiping everyones fingerprints so that we are all identical, but only on the outside.”
by Paul, Kingsway
Friday, October 23 2009, 3:36PM
“Good work, Jason - Keep it up and you will be a good influencein your area. Don't let others stop you and try to plug for as much press as you can get. I'm sure the local news stations (TV & Radio) could use your story.”
by Tony C, Torbay
Friday, October 23 2009, 2:42PM
“Good on yer Jason!”
by Jason, Southmead, Bristol
Friday, October 23 2009, 2:26PM
“I am one of many youths of Southmeads community, i do not agree with the youths actions on the panorama programme, i think it was unfair, out of order and dahm right shameful to know that incidents like this happen.
Its only a small minority who carry out such anti-social and racist behaviour, which does not make it right, definately not.
However it does take the attention away from all the positive things that are going on in Southmead, I and many other young people volunteer and do what we can do to make Southmead a happier and safer place to live, but things like that does not make the news, does not make good T.V programmes, but is missed out which can be make the positive people of Southmead feel down hearted. We not only as a community of Southmead need to pull together and stamp this behaviour out, but as each individual needs to stand up against this and make sure we do not support it and do what we can to rid this area and any area around of these incidents.”
by Malc P, Durban
Friday, October 23 2009, 1:32PM
“Racism :Alive and Kicking”
by Bumble, Bristol
Friday, October 23 2009, 12:57PM
“He said that until they did something about racism towards white people he basically didn't care.
Imbecile.....”
by Observer, Bristol
Friday, October 23 2009, 11:30AM
“I've noticed that Easton has the second highest number of incident reports. Easton is quite a multicultural area.. Pretty suprising statistic there.
PS, I have no real point here lol, I just noticed that statistic”
by Richard, Bristol
Friday, October 23 2009, 10:57AM
“What did Richard say? Every time I log in I see comments by richard. Just to ensure you all I am Richard and the other person is richard (lower case r)
What did he say?”
by Ali, Clifton,Bristol
Friday, October 23 2009, 9:47AM
“Richard you¿re just trying to take the sting out of the whole issue and are trying to redirect the problem on to you... its not working! Your not going to take notice of it cause your probably one of the ones doing it! Richard why don¿t you go do some recordings of racial abuse to whites... It will take you years to make as you will be waiting a long time for things to happen. I¿m not saying it doesn¿t happen, but you¿re acting like it¿s an everyday problem! I like you to prove it that this happens in Bristol a lot!
Its good to have something like S.A.R.I at least people can go to them when they feel the police aren¿t doing anything to help. If it were not for them the public wouldn¿t have seen that Bristol has a problem with racism. I¿m just glad its been brought out as normally its always the north of England that gets targeted for racism”