Disability hate crime is at its highest level since records began

Following JUST West Yorkshires report last week on the failure of West Yorkshire Polices reporting arrangements relating to Hate Incident Reporting Centres, the latest figures now show a 488% increase in disability hate crime in our region. The data from a Freedom of Information request strengthens JUSTs call for an urgent review of reporting arrangements for victims of ALL hate crime. We are still awaiting for a response from the Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police calling for an urgent review.

Disability Hate Crime in West Yorkshire Police Force West Yorkshire Recorded Disability Recorded Disability Record Disability Hate Crime (ACPO) Hate Crime (ACPO) Hate Crime (FOI 2009 2010 results) 2011 25 55 147 Convictions for Disability Hate Crime (CPS FOI) 2011 18

Between 2009 to 2011 the figures for Disability Hate Crime in West Yorkshire show a huge increase of 488% whilst the conviction rate remaining exceptionally low in 2011, an unbelievably low 26%. The governments position that tackling disability hate crime was the responsibility of local authorities and not the government shows a complete disregard for victims at a time that it is waving the Paralympics torch to the world. Tacking hate crime must be a shared responsibility between the police, local authorities and the government and failing to show leadership on such a critical issue highlights that the lessons of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry have been disregarded. Kash Ahmed Racial Justice Coordinator.

The latest figures demonstrate that West Yorkshires Hate Crime arrangements are not fit for purpose across the board. Hate Crime kills, maims, and does irreparable harm to victims. We repeat our call to the Chief Constable to urgently review present reporting arrangements in the light of these shocking figures. The fact that there were only 18 convictions out of a total 147 disability hate crimes recorded does not inspire confidence in the prevention, detection and reporting of disability hate crime. Ratna Lachman Director JUST West Yorkshire

In 2011 the number of recorded incidents of disability hate crime in England and Wales rose to 1,942, its highest total since records began. Data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by the Guardian newspaper shows the number of recorded incidents grew by 60% between 2009 and 2011. While almost 2,000 reports were made to the police last year, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) made just 523 convictions for disability hate crime over the same period.
Hate crime is any criminal offence committed against a person or property that is motivated by hostility towards someone based on their disability, race, religion, gender identity or sexual orientation.

Only last month, the government ratified most of the recommendations of an inquiry by the Equality and Human Rights Commission into disability-related harassment. The Coalition government promised to oversee the creation of more accessible justice, better frontline training and stronger accountability from administrators. But there was a line in the response that dismayed some charities. "Ownership for tackling disability-related harassment and hate crime is primarily the responsibility of the local authorities," it read. "Central government's role is not to be prescriptive but to lead, advise and encourage."

What is Hate Crime?

The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have a nationally agreed definition of Hate Crime. Hate crimes are taken to mean any crime where the perpetrator's hostility or prejudice against an identifiable group of people is a factor in determining who is victimised. This is a broad and inclusive definition. A victim does not have to be a member of the group. In fact, anyone could be a victim of a hate crime. The CPS and ACPO have agreed 5 monitored strands of hate crime as set out below. A hate crime is any criminal offence that is motivated by hostility or prejudice based upon the victim's: disability race religion or belief sexual orientation transgender identity Hate crime can take many forms including: physical attacks such as physical assault, damage to property, offensive graffiti and arson threat of attack including offensive letters, abusive or obscene telephone calls, groups hanging around to intimidate, and unfounded, malicious complaints verbal abuse, insults or harassment - taunting, offensive leaflets and posters, abusive gestures, dumping of rubbish outside homes or through letterboxes, and bullying at school or in the workplace.

Kash Ahmed
Racial Justice Network Coordinator JUST West Yorkshire Promoting racial justice, civil liberties and human rights Unit 4, Carlisle Business Centre, Manningham, BD8 8BD Email: rjn@justwestyorkshire.co.uk Telephone: 01274 542222 Registered Charity No. 1121074 Company No. 6221033