Merseyside partners to collaborate to help tackle hate crimes

Merseyside’s Police Commissioner and Merseyside Police are uniting with partners to reinforce the message that those who promote hatred and division will never be welcome in our region.

Emily Spurrell and Merseyside Police are taking part in a multi-agency week of action between Saturday 12th and Friday 18th October, to mark National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2024, focused on raising awareness of and challenging incidents of hate, while urging anyone affected to report it and seek help.

To support the week of action, a range of activities are happening across Merseyside to help prevent hate crime and increase awareness of the support available.

On Friday, the PCC will open the LCR Tackling Hate Crime Together conference, coming together with regional hate crime leads from Merseyside Police and all five local authorities, as well as her Victim Care Merseyside support services and other third sector services, to re-confirm the region’s commitment to reducing hate crime, sharing experience and knowledge.

The event at Liverpool’s Maritime Museum will bring more than 100 partners together to focus on how they can work collaboratively to tackle hate and make our communities safer.

During the week, the PCC’s team will also be attending a hate crime reassurance event in Sefton with members from the African Caribbean community.

The Merseyside Police Hate Crime Coordinators will conduct numerous hate crime presentations to drive awareness of what constitutes a hate crime and how and when to report it. These will be taking place across Merseyside in various primary and secondary schools, colleges job centres, councils, and LGBTQ+ and disability community groups.

In light of the recent disorder in the summer, there are also additional hate crime awareness sessions planned for Black and ethnic minority groups and associations to provide extra support and reassurance.

The Commissioner and Merseyside Police launched their Community Cashback fund inviting organisations to bid for a share of £100,000 for projects which are focussed on tackling hate crime and improving community integration and cohesion following the recent disorder.

The funding is stripped from the pockets of criminals through the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) and then reinvested back into the community to prevent crime.

Grassroots organisations, charities and voluntary groups can still apply for grants of up to £5,000 but only have until October 14^th to place their bids.

Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell said:

“There is no doubt that the recent disgraceful scenes of violence and disorder in our region were motivated and manipulated by racism and islamophobia.

“It was a sad reminder that if stereotypes and hate-fuelled attitudes are allowed to fester it can lead to very serious crimes that have devastating consequences on many lives.

“Even though this was a small minority of people – it tells us that there is much more work to be done to eradicate hate from our region.”

“Nobody should suffer fear, intimidation, and abuse simply because of who they are or the life they lead and even one victim of hate crime, is one too many.

“It’s so important we tackle hate crime at the earliest opportunity and focus on building and improving community cohesion and resilience. Tackling hate crime is a priority for me and National Hate Crime Awareness Week gives us all the opportunity to highlight the real damage hatred and prejudice can do to individuals and our communities and the support available across Merseyside.

“Crimes motivated by hate have no place in our region and they will not be tolerated, so I’m pleased to come together with our partners to send out the message – loud and clear – that Merseyside is inclusive and welcomes all. It is home to people of all races and faiths, of all sexual orientations and genders and to people of all abilities, and our communities are enriched as a result.

“Merseyside is full of communities that care, and it has been moving to see the amount of support and unity shown in the wake of violence towards our communities that have been affected.

“I hope this week of activity will give more victims the confidence to speak out and get the support they need so they can live free from fear. Please don’t suffer in silence.”

Chief Constable, Serena Kennedy KPM said:

“Merseyside has always prided itself on being an inclusive region and looking back at the events of the summer, proved that the majority of people do not tolerate those intent on bringing division to our communities.

“Hate crime is something that can have a huge impact on victims, it can affect their confidence and feeling of belonging and acceptance in the places they live, work and socialise.

“As a police force, we are committed to tackling hate crime and supporting Hate Crime Awareness week allows us to shine a spotlight on the amazing work that our officers, staff and volunteers with a specialised team of dedicated hate crime co-ordinators do on a daily basis; whether that be providing support to victims, collaborating with partners or investigating incidences to find those responsible and bring them to justice.

“Most importantly, we want to use this week to highlight the importance of reporting instances of hate crime, both if you are a witness or a victim – please do get in touch with us – your safety is our priority, and we will do what we can to get you justice.”

For those who are not comfortable reporting incidents of hate to the police, the Commissioner funds national charity Stop Hate UK to provide an independent 24-hour helpline for all victims of hate crime across Merseyside.

This service gives people a safe and independent place to talk about their experience anonymously and in confidence and to explore their options to take matters further.

The PCC also funds three local hate crime services to provide support to victims according to the type of hate they have experienced – the Anthony Walker Foundation for victims of race and religious victims, Citizen Advice Liverpool for victims of LGBTQ+ hate crimes and Daisy Inclusive for victims of disability hate crime.

During 2023-2024, these services have helped more than 1,500 victims across Merseyside, providing essential support for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. In the wake of the riots, the Anthony Walker Foundation have seen referrals and enquiries to their phone line triple.

Kaushik Mistry, CEO at the Anthony Walker Foundation said:

“Hate Crime Awareness week shouldn’t need to exist, but the Anthony Walker Foundation is here to listen, help and support any victims of Race and Religious hate incidents.

“The riots over the summer highlighted the need for us to be there for victims and for them to report any incidents.”

Anyone affected by hate crime in Merseyside can visit the Victim Care Merseyside website for help, advice and to get the contact details for organisations which can offer support.

Hate can come in many forms, and in recent times, the dangerous consequences of spreading hatred online have been evident, with some of those who stirred up racial hatred on social media now behind bars.

The PCC is continuing to urge people to be cautious of what they post online and to think before they share something they don’t know to be factually true or from a reputable source.