Hate crime

Camden is 'No Place for Hate’ where no one should experience isolation, segregation, marginalisation, harmful practices, intolerance, hate, the denial of rights, prejudice, violence, or terrorism.

Hate crime is any criminal offence, which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards someone due to:

• race or perceived race
• religion or perceived religion
• transgender identity or perceived transgender identity
• sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation
• disability or perceived disability

The above are known as ‘protected characteristics’.

Hate crimes can take many forms including physical assault, verbal abuse, harassment and damage to property. Hate crimes are criminal offences and should be reported to the police.

In some cases victims of hate crime do not feel comfortable reporting the matter directly to the police and may be more comfortable reporting it to someone they are familiar with, in a location that is known to them.

Details of where to report and what support is available can be found by clicking on the links at the top of this page.

What is a hate incident?

A hate incident is any incident which the victim, or anyone else, thinks is based on someone’s prejudice towards them because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or because they are transgender.

Not all hate incidents will amount to criminal offences, but it is equally important that these are reported and recorded by the police.

A hate incident can include verbal abuse, intimidation, threats, harassment, assault and bullying, as well as damage to property.

How is hostility defined?

There is no legal definition of hostility so we use the everyday understanding of the word which includes ill-will, spite, contempt, prejudice, unfriendliness, antagonism, resentment and dislike.

What is intersectional hate crime?

Hate crime can be intersectional in nature, targeting more than one protected characteristic. Usually around 10% of hate crime offences are estimated to have involved more than one motivating factor, the majority of these were hate crimes related to both race and religion.

Report a hate crime

By reporting hateful behaviour when it happens to you, or when you see it happen to someone else, you may be able to help us stop others being targeted with this behaviour.

You will also help us and the Police to understand the extent of hate crime in your local area so we can respond to it better.

• In an emergency you should call 999 and follow the ‘run, hide, tell’ advice.
• If the incident or crime isn’t an emergency, call 101 or contact your local neighbourhood police, for example by visiting your local station.
• You can also report hate crime on the 'report it' website.
• You can also use the 'Report' functions on social media platforms, which could lead to the post being removed, and the account being suspended or closed down.
• The CSU investigates all hate crime reports. Officers are trained to provide support to victims. You can report a hate crime or incident to the Camden Safety Unit (CSU) [email protected]
• You can also call the Council on 020 7974 4444 or directly thorough this e-form (report antisocial behaviour) found on the website.

If you are more comfortable reporting to a community organisation, you can report to one of our partners below. We encourage anyone who witnesses or experiences this behaviour to report it. Even if you don’t report a hate incident when it happens, please do report it.

Other ways to report 

Alternatively, you can contact other organisations, such as:
•    Stop Hate UK
•    forum+
•    Camden People First
•    Protecting our Jewish Community: Community Security Trust
•    Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre
•    Queen’s Crescent Community Association
•    Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks: Tell Mama
•    Reporting Racism: The Monitoring Group
•    Victim Support

If you see harmful, hateful behaviour in our borough or experience it yourself, there is help and support available.

Camden takes a partnership approach to tackling hate crime. That means we work closely with our communities and community organisations to stop hateful behaviour in our borough. Below are some of the partners we work with to tackle hate crime in Camden.

Galop are an LGBT+ anti-violence charity that provide advice, support and advocacy to people who have experienced hate crime, domestic abuse and sexual violence. Galop are an independent organisation and their services are confidential and free. For more information please visit their website at Galop.org.uk

TELL MAMA support victims of anti-Muslim hate and is a public service which also measures and monitors anti-Muslim incidents. If you have been a victim of an anti-Muslim prejudiced incident or hate crime you can report it to them at tellmamauk.org/submit-a-report-to-us

forum+ support victims of homophobic, biphobic and transphobic hate crime across Camden and Islington and in surrounding boroughs where appropriate. forum+ aim to promote equality and diversity by the elimination of discrimination in relation to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people living, working, socialising and/or studying in Camden and Islington. You can access their service at forumplus.org.uk

Camden People First is a self-advocacy project run and led by people with learning difficulties. Camden People First ensure that people with learning difficulties in Camden have their full rights and privileges as citizens, by empowering them to speak up for themselves. For more information, visit camdenpeoplefirst.org.uk

Community Security Trust is a charity that protects British Jews from antisemitism and related threats. For more information please visit https://cst.org.uk/about-cst

Victim Support is an independent charity that helps people affected by crime or traumatic events get the support they need and the respect they deserve. If you’ve been affected by crime, they can give you the support you need to move forward. Their services are free, confidential and can be accessed at victimsupport.org.uk

Stop Hate UK provide a 24 hour helpline in Camden to support residents affected by hate crime. The service provides a safe space for victims and witnesses to talk about their experiences with trained staff and volunteers able to listen and give advice on appropriate action. The Stop Hate helpline is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year on 0800 138 1625. The helpline is also available by text message on 07717 989 025 and email [email protected] If you are Deaf or hard of hearing, you can report via interactive British Sign Language by following the link on Stophateuk.org 

On Your Side complements the Stop Hate UK helpline and offers dedicated support for East and South East Asian victims of racism and other forms of hate. It is a free nationwide 24/7 telephone line who provide tailored and culturally sensitive support to those affected. Helpline operators speak various languages and can support victims in any language. The service can be accessed at onyourside.org or by calling 0808 801 0393.

Protective security support for places of worship

We know that in Camden many people and organisations will be feeling worried and upset because of the violence and community tensions we are seeing across the UK. Our residents who are Muslim, asylum seekers and refugees are feeling especially concerned and upset as these communities are targeted across the country. 

Camden is no place for hate, and our diversity is our strength. Please know that we stand with you and our priority right now is your safety, and the safety of everyone who spends time in your place of worship. We are taking a number of community safety and security measures to help support and reassure our communities, and below we have shared some information which may be useful for you, including how to report an incident, including a hate crime and additional information to assist anyone who wants to enhance their protective security measures at their place of worship or other venues.

We want everyone in Camden to be safe, and while we know you should not have to take extra measures, we felt it was right to share this information with you and our communities.

Immediate actions – for emergencies

If you have witnessed a crime or are at immediate risk of harm, please call the Police on 999, or the police anti-terrorist hotline on 0800 789 321 to report an immediate threat to life or property.

Reporting an incident 

• The police number for non-emergencies is 101 (24 hours) or online at the Met Police at Report a Crime
• You can contact the Council’s Community Safety directly thorough this e-form, report antisocial behaviour.
• Call Community Safety via the main contact centre number on 0207 974 4444 (Please go through the options until it tells you to hold, it will then take you to a submenu and Community Safety will be option 6.) 
• Contact Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111   

Reporting a hate crime

• In an emergency you should call 999 and follow the ‘run, hide, tell’ advice. 
• If the incident or crime isn’t an emergency, call 101 or contact your local neighbourhood police, for example by visiting your local station.  
• You can also report hate crime online via report-it.org.uk.  
• You can report a hate crime or incident to the Camden Safety Unit (CSU): [email protected]. The CSU investigates all hate crime reports. Officers are trained to provide support to victims.  
• You can also call the Council on 020 7974 4444. 
• The Council works with a range of community partners who offer safe, confidential ways of reporting hate crime for anyone who has experienced this. You can find the full list of trusted partners including Tell MAMA UK, who monitor and measure Islamophobia and offer tailored support.

We are here for you so please get in touch if you or anyone in your community needs help or support. 

Additional security measures

• Review the use and location of waste/rubbish bins, consider their proximity to glass windows and building support structures. Keep the number of litter bins to a minimum for easier monitoring.
• Keep public and communal areas (e.g. exits, entrances, toilets) clean, tidy, and well-lit. 
• Keep external areas (e.g. entrances, exits, reception areas) clean, tidy, and well-lit. Use perimeter lighting, CCTV cameras, and visible signage to indicate that visible surveillance is in use in these locations, if possible. 
• Use seals/locks to secure maintenance hatches and industrial waste bins when not in use.
• Conduct systematic and thorough searches of your place of worship as part of routine housekeeping. This search plan should include toilets, lifts, car parks and service areas.
• Ensure that reception and administrative staff are trained and competent to manage telephoned threats. Follow these links for further information about how to respond to telephoned bomb threats and threatening phone calls.
• Amend outgoing answerphone messages so that no information is given about venue practices or timings.
• Consider marking first aid supplies and firefighting equipment to ensure that it is in date and that it has not been replaced.

Access control

• Keep unused offices and rooms locked.
• Consider implementing an access control system if one is not already in use. This could include key fobs or keypads for entry to restrict unauthorised access.
• Closing any unnecessary entrances to prevent unauthorised access, while being mindful to not obstruct emergency exits.
• Keep unauthorised vehicles (including goods deliveries) at a safe distance from your building, if possible, until authorised by administrative/security staff.
• Obtain the details (vehicle registration plate, vehicle type) of any contract vehicles and passengers in advance.
• Ensure that staff, including contractors and cleaners, wear ID badges at all times while on-site.
• Request that all business visitors to your site report to a reception area before entry and require them to sign in and issue them with a visitor's pass. Ensure that these visitor passes look different to staff badges.
• Ensure that business visitors are always accompanied by a member of staff during their visit.

Security awareness

• Ensure that you know your local Counter Terrorism Security Advisor (CTSA) and involve them in any security-related developments at your place of worship. In Camden, these are Ramesh Kerai and Stuart Hutchinson. 
• Encourage a ‘challenge culture’, to anybody who is not wearing a pass in private areas.
• Make sure that any CCTV cameras are working effectively, are located appropriately, and are suitably monitored. 
• Ensure that all staff are trained in how to respond effectively to any unidentified or suspicious packages found on site. Follow this link for further guidance on how to respond to unattended and suspicious items.
• Ensure that staff are aware of mail/post-handling procedures. 

Communication

• Ensure that security issues are discussed at management level and that they become integral to the culture of your place of worship.
• Increase staff vigilance through security briefings, especially during times of heightened community tension.
• Monitor reliable news and media channels.
• Encourage staff and visitors to raise any security concerns.
• Speak with neighbours to your place of worship on issues of security and crime that might affect you all.
• Remind your staff to be vigilant when travelling to and from work, and to report anything suspicious to police. This can be done on 999, the anti-terrorist hotline 0800 789 321 or, if using public transport, by texting British Transport Police on 61016. 

Evacuation and Invacuation

• Ensure that invacuation and evacuation forms part of your security plan. 
• Invacuation planning should identify a protected space within your site. Consider seeking advice from a structural engineer or CTSA to identify suitable protected spaces within your site.
• Consider preparing a box of supplies in your invacuation location, should it need to be used. This could include a pen and pencils, a spare phone with credit available and/or phone chargers, a power bank, a torch, water.

Evacuation routes and sites should be checked for suitability and free from any obstructions.

Preparedness

• Review security plans
• Remind staff and visitors of the RUN, HIDE, TELL guidance, which should be used in the event of any attack in which there is risk to life:
  • Run to a place of safety. This is a far better option than to surrender or negotiate. If there's nowhere to go then
  • It's better to hide than to confront. Remember to turn your phone to silent and turn off vibrate. Barricade yourself in if you can.
  • Finally, and only when it is safe to do so, call 999 ​

Long-term actions

1. Encourage all staff and worshippers (where appropriate) to undertake online ACT Awareness eLearning training, which is available free of charge.
2. If you feel that your place of worship is vulnerable to hate crime, please consider applying to the Places of Worship Security Funding Scheme offered by the Home Office. This is free government funding for places of worship and faith centres which are vulnerable to hate crime. Successful applicants will be given a survey of their place of worship, after which security measures (e.g. CCTV, fencing, reinforced windows, intruder alarms) may be installed free of charge. If your place of worship already received funding through this scheme in 2021-2022 or 2022-2023, you can still apply. For other frequently asked questions on this scheme, please see here.
    

Racial harassment can take place at work, in public places, in your local neighbourhood or estate. It is a deliberate act committed against a person because of their colour, race, nationality, ethnic origin or religion. Racial abuse and harassment is a crime.

Racial harassment can take many forms including:  

• threats, insults, name calling, spitting  
• physical assaults and violence  
• insulting graffiti, damage to your property  
• sending threatening letters or offensive material 

We’re committed to tackling and challenging racial abuse and harassment to ensure communities are as safe as possible.  

Homophobic and transphobic abuse and harassment are criminal acts. That means we can take action against people who are homophobic or transphobic.

Homophobic and transphobic crime is any incident where there is overt evidence that the perpetrator's motivation is based on their perception that the victim is lesbian, gay or transgender (LGBT) or because the victim perceives this to be the case.

Homophobic and transphobic crime can take many forms, including:

• physical violence and/or harassment
• bullying and threats
• sexual abuse/rape
• blackmail and hate mail

It is often difficult for victims or witnesses of homophobic crime and transphobic crime to talk about it or ask for help. It is estimated that over 85% of homophobic crimes go unreported.

We want to do something about that by giving victims several ways to get the support they need, and witnesses a variety of ways to report what they have seen.

Reporting homophobic crime to the police

To report crime in an emergency dial 999. Non-urgent calls can also be made to the LGBT liaison team in the Community Safety Unit (CSU) at Holborn police station.

Staff at the CSU are trained to provide support to victims of hate crime, regardless of where an attack took place, whether in a victim’s home, on the street, or on a known cruising ground.

The CSU is able to:

• investigate the crime and enforce the law
• support the victim to apply for injunctions or Anti Social Behaviour Orders
• give advice and support
• refer to other agencies for additional support

forum+

forum+ provides non-police reporting, and works to support victims of hate crimes and homophobic harassment.

forum+ has produced a method of reporting crimes so that the police do not have to be involved. By using the non-police reporting form you can tell us about where crimes are happening and we can try to do something about it.

If you ask us to, we will pass the information about your crime anonymously on to the Police.

For more information contact forum+.

Council tenants and leaseholders

If you are a Council tenant or leaseholder you can report any homophobic or transphobic harassment to your ward housing team. They will take a report, and if necessary involve other Council teams and the police.

Contact your ward housing team

Victim Support in Camden

Victim Support in Camden has a dedicated homophobic and transphobic crime worker.

Victim Support in Camden provides free and confidential support and advice.

If you have been victim you can refer yourself to directly to Victim Support without going to the police.

Contact Camden Victim support

This framework contains advice and good practice for community venues when taking bookings. It includes the checks that should be in place and guidance on how to mitigate the risk of undesirable bookings.

Read our guide to managing speakers of concern.