Member Article

Citizens Advice Darlington helping victims of hate crime

Darlington Citizens Advice Bureau is urging people to report race hate crime ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on Monday, March 21.

The day, which will be marked with a series of events and activities worldwide, aims to remind people of racial discrimination’s negative consequences and encourages people to remember their obligation and determination to combat racial discrimination.

Darlington Citizens Advice has recently become a hate crime reporting centre and the charity’s chief executive, Neeraj Sharma, said: “We all have the right to live free from violence, harassment or hostility, but over the years we have seen how devastating hate incidents can be to individuals, families and the wider community. Hate incidents target people because of who they are.”

A hate crime can be anything from assault, to name-calling, harassment and blackmail, and is any crime or incident which is perceived by a person to be because of hostility or prejudice based on religion or belief, disability, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity or transgender identity.

Mr Sharma said: “We want people to feel able to come in and tell us about any hate incident they experience or witness, no matter how minor it might seem. Hate incidents are a form of discrimination and can be a consequence or underlying cause of other problems for which people need advice.”

Caroline Dawson, Darlington’s Neighbourhood Inspector, said: “Anything that helps people feel easier about reporting hate crime and hate-related incidents is beneficial. People often feel intimidated about coming into a police station so that is where the Citizens Advice office comes in. People are used to using the services of Citizens Advice Darlington, so may find it easier to report incidents via their offices.

“In Darlington, which is a very diverse community, there has been a four per cent reduction in hate-related incidents in the past 12 months and we have noticed that people are more confident about telling us what is going on.”

In 2014/15, there were 456 incidents of hate crime recorded by Durham Police, an increase of 31 incidents from the previous year. The most reported hate crimes in 2014/15 were related to race and sexual orientation, with 258 incidents of race and 54 incidents of sexual orientation.

Darlington MP Jenny Chapman said: “It’s extremely important that people report any form of hate crime so it can be properly investigated and dealt with and being able to do so at the Citizens Advice Bureau in the town centre is excellent news.”

Dave Dove, hate crime lead/equality and diversity partnerships team leader for Durham Police, said: “Hate Crime is any incident/crime which is perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice. Durham Police urges members of the public to report any form of hate crime to the police using various reporting methods. You can report hate crime directly to the police or at one of the various third party reporting centres across County Durham and Darlington, such as Citizens Advice Darlington.”

Anyone with information about a hate crime or incident is asked to report it either by calling 999 in an emergency or 101 in a non-emergency, online at www.durham.police.uk/hatecrime or in person at a police station. There is also an independent online hate crime reporting facility on the True Vision website at www.report-it.org.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Citizens Advice Darlington .