Campaign launched in wake of hate crime spike
BBCA campaign has been launched to tackle hate crime and encourage people to report it.
Hate Ends Here, a Cleveland Strategic Hate Crime Partnership scheme, will see posters and QR codes displayed as well as educational work in schools and colleges.
Home Office figures show reported offences in the Cleveland Police area rose from 1,508 in the year to March 2024 to 1,771 in the subsequent 12 months.
Police and Crime Commissioner Matt Storey, who said the rise could be due to riots in Hartlepool and Middlesbrough in summer 2024, said it was important to "develop a strategy that helps people to identify hate crime, feel more confident reporting hate crime and make people feel more comfortable".
The partnership was re-established in October following "racially motivated disorder of summer 2024", with the stated aim "for all adults and children in Cleveland to be able to live free from hatred and hostility motivated by prejudice".
During the riots in Hartlepool and Middlesbrough, Cleveland Police said it had seen a "noticeable spike" in reports.
The highest proportion of recorded hate crimes for the area is related to race, followed by sexual orientation, religion, transgender status and disability.
Storey said hate crime is "a big issue" in the Cleveland area, with "more and more reports coming in".
He believes it is probably still under reported due to people not being aware they are a victim and encourages anyone affected to come forward.
"It can be anything from verbal abuse, words, it can escalate to things like physical violence, intimidation," he said.
"Please report it in and understand that you will be supported and helped if you do that."
A hate crime is defined as "any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person's race or perceived race, religion or perceived religion, sexual orientation or perceived orientation, disability or perceived disability and any crime motivated by hostility or prejudice against a person who is transgender or perceived to be transgender".
