Police reveal ‘unacceptable’ level of hate crime across Northern Ireland

The shocking new statistics have been released as the PSNI launches a new campaign during Hate Crime Awareness Week to highlight the devastating impact that this type of crime has on victims.

The joint initiative prompts members of the public in communities throughout Northern Ireland to ‘put yourself in their shoes’ and just think about how they would feel if they were on the receiving end of hate crime and to always report any instances they know of to the police.

The campaign is being run by the PSNI in partnership with the Northern Ireland Policing Board, Policing and Community Safety Partnerships and the Hate Crime Advocacy Service.

PSNI hate crime lead Superintendent Sue Steen said: “In the past 12 months, more than 3,000 people have been the victims of a hate crime or hate incident and in a modern and diverse society that is simply not acceptable.

"Northern Ireland has a reputation of being a welcoming place but that is not the experience of people who experience hate crimes or incidents. No-one has the right to perpetrate hate on any individual simply because of their background, race, religion, faith or how they identify.

"This week, and in the weeks to come, we are asking everyone to reflect on how they would feel if they were ‘in the shoes’ of a victim of a hate crime or hate incident,” Supt Steen said.

"We all have a responsibility, individually and collectively, to work to challenge and eradicate hate in our society. It is also critical that victims report their experiences to police as we can only work to prevent crimes that we know about. If you feel that you cannot do this then we encourage you to contact the Hate Crime Advocacy Service for support.”

John Blair MLA, Chair of the Northern Ireland Policing Board Partnership Committee, said: “The PSNI has an important role in protecting those who may become the victims of hate crime. How the police service does this is a key area of oversight for the Policing Board.

"Both the Policing Board, and the Policing and Community Policing Partnerships, want to play our part in encouraging people who experience hate crime to report this to police and call for those who perpetrate such incidents to stop and think about how they would feel if they were in a victim’s shoes,” Mr Blair added.

Michael Avila from the Hate Crime Advocacy Service said: “The police service and the Hate Crime Advocacy Service work together to support the victims of hate crimes and incidents.

"We offer a safe and confidential space to provide help to victims and we can support you whether or not you have reported a crime to the police,” he said.

"Free and confidential help is available and we encourage anyone who has experienced a hate crime or incident to contact the Advocacy Service”.