Hate crime surges by 76 per cent in the West Midlands
Hate crime in the West Midlands has rocketed by 76 per cent over the last five years, according to new official figures.
And in the last 12 months the region has seen a 25 per cent spike in the number of hate crimes reported to West Midlands Police where religion was a motivating factor.
The latest Home Office figures show that between April 2017 and March 2018, 303 incidents were recorded by the force, up from 242 the previous year.
Across the UK more than half of the hate crime reported was against Muslims, while a Home Office report says there were spikes in Islamophobic hate crime after recent terrorist strikes, including the Manchester Arena terror attack and the London Bridge attack.
WMP say the increase is partly because of improvements in the way crimes are recorded.
The majority of hate crime reported to the force involved racism. Such incidents increased by eight per cent compared with the previous year, with 4,151 cases recorded by officers in 2017-18.
The number of incidents where disability was a motivating factor rose from 41 to 106.
Hate crimes and incidents are defined as those perceived to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a personal characteristic.
WMP has launched a 'third party reporting' strategy for hate crime, where people are encouraged to report incidents to other selected bodies if they don't feel comfortable dealing directly with the police.
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson, said: "Hate crime is not acceptable and tackling the crime is a priority of mine and West Midlands Police have a zero-tolerance policy on it. If it is reported it will be investigated.
"People in the West Midlands have different views on certain issues, but one thing that unites us all is that we are tolerant, decent people who get on with each other. Hate crimes have been committed by a tiny minority of people.
"If you are a victim of, or see any evidence of hate crime please report it. It is only by reporting the crime that we can tackle it.
“Third party reporting centres are a key part of the strategy to tackle hate crime. They allow people to report crimes in non-police surroundings, encouraging more people to come forward.”
