International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Disabled people are significantly more likely to be victims of crime than non-disabled people, with the gap largest amongst 16 to 34 year-olds. However, statistics published by the Home Office in October suggest that the confidence to come forward and report disability hate crime is increasing.

Three new priorities have been also identified for this area of policing, accessibility, autism spectrum conditions and dementia.

National Policing Lead for Disability, Chief Constable Simon Cole, said:

“We are committed to creating a police service for everyone, both in terms of who we are and how we respond. Disability is a key issue for the police and for society too.

“All crimes motivated by hate are abhorrent and will not be tolerated. Such abuse affects a person’s fundamental right to feel secure and confident about themselves. Police forces across the UK are working hard to prevent offending, support victims and bring offenders to justice.

“In May this year a new Hate Crime Strategy and Operational Guidance was published by the College of Policing. The True Vision website, available at http://www.report-it.org.uk, has also been created to simplify the reporting process. Recent statistics published by the Home Office show that we are moving in the right direction, with nearly an 8 per cent increase in reports of disability hate crime over the last year.

“However, there is still more to be done and I want to expand our focus to include the specific areas of accessibility, autism and dementia. By improving our approach to these issues we will improve as a service and be in a stronger position to perform our core duties of fighting crime and keeping citizens safe.”