Crown Prosecution Service and Cumbria Police Launch Campaign To Tackle Disability Hate Crime
20/02/2013
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Cumbria Constabulary have joined forces to launch a campaign to raise awareness of disability hate crime in Cumbria.
The eight-week campaign is being launched following fears that disability hate crime goes unreported across the county. Discussions with disabled people and disability groups highlighted that there was an issue with under reporting and a lack of understanding of what a disability hate crime is.
Concerns were raised after figures showed that only 17 disability hate crimes were reported to police in Cumbria in 2012 in comparison to 166 reports of race hate crime.
The CPS and Police are now calling on communities to support them as they work to raise awareness of what disability hate crime is and encourage reporting so that they can bring an end to it in Cumbria. Hate crimes are any crimes that are targeted at a person because of hostility or prejudice towards their disability, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender status.
In partnership with CFM Radio, disability hate crime victims have recorded short adverts which will be played on the station and flyers will also be handed out in Barrow, Kendal, Carlisle and Workington to raise awareness of the issue by calling on victims' friends, family members and the wider public to be vigilant and challenge hate crime by reporting it to police.
Alison Mutch, CPS North West Area Hate Crime Co-ordinator said: "The "mismatch" between the amount of abuse being reported by disabled people in surveys and what is reported to the police needs to be addressed. We can only prosecute cases when they are brought to the attention of the Police.
"Everyone has the right to a life free from harassment, bullying, fear and intimidation, so if you think you are being targeted because of your disability or know someone that is then please tell someone and report it. If you see this happening challenge it, report it and together we can stop it.
"The CPS has been working with communities and schools to ensure that young people are aware of what disability hate crime is. Feedback from disabled people and other agencies told us that we needed to do more to ensure that young people are more aware of what disability hate crime is. This led to us working with disabled people and schools across the North West to develop a resource for schools in order to raise awareness of disability hate crime and ensure that young people understand the impact that hate crime has on the victim and the potential consequences for the perpetrator.
"As part of this awareness raising campaign we are also urging both primary and secondary schools to work with young people to educate them about disability hate crime. The resource can be found at www.cps.gov.uk/northwest/tackling_crime/hate_crime/schools_project___disability_hate_crime/."
Assistant Chief Constable Jerry Graham said: "Police officers have a duty to protect communities and particularly the most vulnerable in our society. Targeting someone based on their real or perceived vulnerability is inexcusable - but we can only take action when we know a crime has taken place.
"Hate crime in any form is unacceptable and we need the help of the whole community. We need the public to not turn a blind eye and instead support those with physical, mental or learning disabilities by contacting police it if you witness them being targeted.
"Everyone deserves the right to enjoy their lives free from the fear of crime, violence or being bullied. Anyone who thinks that they have the right to intimidate or assault an innocent member of the public deserves to be prosecuted.
"The Police, CPS and other agencies held a number of meetings with disabled people and disability advocacy groups over the past 18 months and they told us that it wasn't unusual for them to be shouted at, slapped, spat at or even have chewing gum thrown at them as they went about their daily business. The majority also said that they didn't report this to police because they hadn't realised this behaviour could be considered criminal.
"This is incredibly concerning and if this is happening in Cumbria, we need to take action and make it clear that this sort of treatment is a crime and is unacceptable. We don't want anyone to suffer in silence, so if you or anyone you know has been a victim of hate crime, then contact police immediately, so that we can support victims and bring offenders to justice."
The campaign urges victims of disability hate crime to report their experiences to a police officer or a friend, so that action can be taken. However if victims do not feel comfortable approaching the police, they are encouraged to attend Third Party Reporting Centres across the county which offer a safe, neutral location where victims or witnesses can report an incident without having to speak directly to a police officer. You can find a full list of reporting centres here: http://www.cumbria.police.uk/advice-and-information/reporting-a-crime/hate-crime-and-incidents
Cumbria's Police and Crime Commissioner, Richard Rhodes said: "Any crime is appalling but when it is targeted at disabled victims it needs to be tackled robustly. I welcome that the Constabulary and CPS are working together to address the situation and would urge people whatever the crime to come forward."
Young people who may not want to talk directly to a police officer will also be encouraged to use a mobile phone application from www.reportit.org.uk which provides phone users with an option to report crimes via their mobile handsets for free.
If you've been a victim of hate crime, please call police immediately on 101. In an emergency, always dial 999.
