We will work with others across the criminal justice system to support the Home Office’s new action plan to stamp out hate crime

National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Hate Crime, Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton said:

“We will work with others across the criminal justice system to support the Home Office’s new action plan to stamp out hate crime. We urge victims to report any incidents that challenge the diverse society we live in.

“Over recent years, we’ve worked hard to encourage people to report hate crime and improve our response to victims. As a result, we are seeing significant rises in reporting of hate crime and there were 12,845 convictions last year, which is a 4.7% increase on the previous year.  We carefully analyse hate crime data each year to ensure that progress in terms of reporting and prosecutions continues. 

“We are currently working with the CPS and forces to make sure police gather the best evidence we can to ensure as many perpetrators as possible receive a robust response and enhanced sentencing. As with all crimes, it will never be possible to take all reports through to prosecution because there may not be enough evidence or victims may not want to pursue to charge.“