The first pledge in Scotland to end hate crime on public transport has been launched by the City of Edinburgh Council and transport partners. The ‘Charter for Public Transport’ aims to provide ‘hate free’ travel and partners Edinburgh Trams, ScotRail, Police Scotland, British Transport Police and First Scotland East came together in Haymarket station to make their pledge. Continue reading Capital driving out hate crime on public transport
‘No place here for intolerance, discrimination or violence’ – Communites Secretary Angela Constance
A series of practical measures have been set out to tackle and prevent hate crime in Scotland, focused on tackling prejudice and building stronger communities.
Responding to the recommendations of the Independent Advisory Group on Hate Crime which reported in September, Communities and Equalities Secretary Angela Constance has confirmed:
Ms Constance (above) said: “These actions will drive practical measures in the months and years ahead that demonstrate Scotland’s leadership in the fight against hate crime. We are making abundantly clear that there is no place here for intolerance, discrimination or violence.
“We must continue to tackle the underlying causes and conditions that allow hatred and intolerance to flourish. It is vital in these challenging times that we remain united, which is why we are redoubling our efforts to promote fairness, equality and a respect right across our society.”
10% fall in racial hate crime charges brought by police
People affected by hate crime have been encouraged to come forward to police to ensure perpetrators can be properly dealt with.
Minister for Community Safety Annabel Ewing made the appeal following the publication of a series of reports covering hate crime, religiously aggravated offences and the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012 which show:
Minister for Community Safety Annabelle Ewing said: “Any crime motivated by prejudice is absolutely unacceptable. While the statistics show a decrease in reported racial crimes, there have been increases in those related to sexual orientation, religion and transgender identity and we cannot be complacent about these crimes are dealt with.
“I remain concerned that hate crimes are under-reported and want to encourage anyone who has been subjected to such appalling acts to come forward to ensure that perpetrators can be dealt with appropriately. We will keep engaging with community leaders on how best to raise awareness of how such crimes can be reported and in the meantime. We will continue to work with Police Scotland and others to ensure a robust response to perpetrators.
“Scotland does not exist in isolation from the rest of the world and we know that global events have an impact on the levels of hate crime that different communities are subjected to. We must ensure that we have appropriate legislation in place to deal with those who continue to perpetrate prejudice, bigotry and hatred, which is why I commissioned the Independent Review of Hate Crime Legislation in Scotland and expect that its findings will help us to ensure that our hate crime legislation is fit for the 21st century.
“The number of charges under the Offensive Behaviour Act demonstrate that we still have a problem with offensive and abusive behaviour related to football matches and that we need legislation to give our police the powers required to ensure that football is not immune from the standards expected in the rest of society.”
Chief Superintendent Barry McEwan, Head of Safer Communities, Police Scotland, added: “I would always encourage anyone who has been the victim of hate crime in any form, whether because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, ethnicity or any other individual circumstance, to come forward and report it to the police. It is only through reporting offences that we can form a more complete picture of the issue and address is in the most robust manner possible.
“Police Scotland will not tolerate any attempts to target any community by any misguided individual or group and will work with all of our partners to resolve any issues and address any concerns. Should anyone become a victim of, or witness to, any hate crime, they should contact the police and report the incident, by calling 101 or 999 if it is an emergency.”
Police are appealing for information following a hate crime that occurred in the north of the city. The incident happened between 5.30pm and 5.40pm on Monday (8th May) in St Andrew’s Place. Continue reading Witness appeal following Leith hate crime
Police have released an image of a woman they wish to speak to in connection with a hate crime that occurred around 6pm on 4th March 2016 at Sofi’s Bar in Henderson Street. Continue reading Leith hate crime incident: image released
The next Living in Harmony forum will be on Thursday 13th October, 10-12 at Pilton Community Health Project. There will be crèche available if booked in advance.
The theme of the session will be on understanding hate crime and we will have input from the police and from another project working with young people on hate crime in North Edinburgh. There will be an opportunity to explore what hate crime is, discuss how to raise awareness about it among our communities, and also to sign up your organisation to become a third party reporting centre.
It would be helpful if you could RSVP so that we have an idea of numbers.
Kind regards
Hannah Kitchen
Development Worker, Living in Harmony,
Pilton Community Health Project
0131 551 1671
Like us on Facebook for regular updates www.facebook.com/PiltonCommunityHealthProject
Addressing hate crime should be a priority for the whole of society, according to a new independent report.
The Independent Advisory Group on Hate Crime, Prejudice and Community Cohesion was set up by the Scottish Government last year to examine the issue and their report sets out a number of recommendations on how to help tackle hate crime and prejudice, and build greater community cohesion. This includes the need for stronger partnership working at a national and local level, better data collection on incidents and an approach that is based on prevention and education.
Speaking following the report’s publication on Friday, Cabinet Secretary for Equalities Angela Constance said: “I welcome the work that the Advisory Group has done in producing this report, which contains important messages that we should all reflect on.
“The Scottish Government is committed to doing all that we can to prevent and eradicate hate crime and prejudice, and build community cohesion.
“Let me be clear – there is absolutely no place for bigotry and prejudice in Scotland.
“As a nation, we have a long history of welcoming people of all nationalities and faiths, and we are committed to supporting their integration into our communities. That has assumed even more importance in the aftermath of the EU referendum, when it is vital that we send a message that Scotland remains a welcoming place for all those who have chosen to make this country their home.
“And we will continue to celebrate the fullness of Scotland’s diversity – everyone in Scotland must be empowered to achieve their potential irrespective of race, faith, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
“Since 2012, we have invested over £100 million to promote equality and tackle discrimination and we are continuing to work closely with partner organisations to advance our vision of ‘One Scotland’.
“However, I recognise that there is still progress to be made, and we will be carefully considering the recommendations from the Advisory Group in full.”
Cabinet Secretary for Justice Michael Matheson added: “Everyone has the right to be safe and to feel safe in their communities.
“We already have strong laws to protect against discrimination and I would encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim of hate crime to report it to the police immediately.
“Our justice partners are doing important work to raise awareness, engage with communities, encourage reporting and ensure that perpetrators of these unacceptable acts are held to account.
“We are continuing to work closely with our key partners and community leaders to ensure people feel protected in Scotland, and anyone found to be engaging in hate crime will feel the full force of the law.”
Duncan Morrow, Chair of the Independent Advisory Group: “We are very pleased to present our report to the Scottish Government. The Government’s commitment to exploring this issue with people who experience hate crime and its effects has been a very welcome and important indicator of its leadership in this issue.
“We found that hate crime remains an all too real issue with real effects on individuals, families, communities and social cohesion. Attacks spread fear to all those who know that they too could face the same violence, and isolates the victims from the rest of society. This in turn fuels prejudice.
“We know that this issue is taken very seriously in Scotland but we heard from too many that reported hate crime is only part of the story. Our recommendations include recommendations to the Government and for criminal justice agencies, including the police.
“However, addressing the underlying issue means sharing the responsibility more widely. Schools and teachers are often in the front line. Community services at local level can have an important influence. Youth workers, transport providers and community organisations are often in a position to act more immediately and more effectively. Political and community leadership is important. Identifying ways for people to act without putting themselves at risk is important. And exploring the opportunities for restorative justice may also be important.
“We hope that the report allows the Scottish Government to continue with its work in this area by providing positive avenues for action and opportunities for partnership working to address this vital issue.”
The full report can be viewed at http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2016/09/3565
Edinburgh police have released CCTV images of a woman that officers wish to trace following a hate crime on a bus where a 36-year-old woman and her children were subjected to xenophobic comments.
The incident happened around midday on Monday 9 May onboard a number 10 Lothian Bus travelling on Great Junction Street in Leith.
Officers believe that the woman shown in the images may be able to assist them with their enquiries.
She is described as white, in her early 40’s, of skinny build and at the time of the incident, she was wearing a white top and dark trousers.
Constable Thomas Winsor from Leith Police Station said: “The woman pictured in the CCTV footage is of interest to our ongoing inquiries and I would ask anyone who recognises her to contact police immediately. In addition, anyone with any further information relevant to this investigation should also come forward.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 or alternatively, the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where all information can be provided anonymously.
Local Police Inspector David Happs attended yesterday’s Living in Harmony forum to listen to community concerns of recent racist incidents in North Edinburgh – none of which were reported to police.
Following the meeting, Inspector Happs made some enquiries of his own and has responded to the group:
All,
Thank you to those that attended the meeting this afternoon, I hope you found my input and associated discussion useful.
As discussed and in response to the email below the initial figures that I have for Edinburgh show there has actually been slightly less reported hate crimes and incidents in the period after the referendum, none of which can be directly attributed to the referendum result, than were experienced in the same time period before the result.
However, I am aware through contact with some of you there is an element of under-reporting of hate crimes and such incidents. We continue to work hard locally and nationally to address this and I am grateful to those who expressed an interest in establishing further 3rd party reporting centres in Edinburgh.
I hope this work alongside your support in encouraging victims to come forward and our continued engagement with our diverse communities will provide an accurate picture of hate crime in Edinburgh and assist Police Scotland in tackling it.
With regard to offering reassurance to local communities Chief Inspector Alastair Muir of our National Safer Communities Department recently issued the following message:
“Police Scotland continues to monitor all types of hate crimes and incidents and we have noted no significant rise in reported incidents or crimes since the EU Referendum. It is recognised that these types on incidents often go un-reported and would encourage individuals and communities to report concerns in person, via Third Party Reporting Centres or online. Our role as a police service is to ensure that all our communities are safe and feel protected and all reports of hate crime, extremism or violence are robustly investigated, with those responsible brought to justice. Police Scotland does not tolerate hatred, extremism or violence in any form.”
More information about what constitutes a hate crime, how to report a hate crime and use of our 3rd party reporting centres can be found on our website. Our non-emergency telephone number is 101 and in an emergency you should always call 999.
http://www.scotland.police.uk/contact-us/hate-crime-and-third-party-reporting/
Further information will follow in due course and I will keep you updated accordingly. In the meantime please do not hesitate to contact me should you wish to discuss further.
Community Action North is to organise a community event around the issue – details to follow
THURSDAY 11 FEBRUARY 3 – 5.30pm
West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre
