If you are in danger or if there is an emergency, then call the police on 999 (non-emergencies on 101).
We all have a right to live without fear, hostility and intimidation from others and this kind of behaviour is not acceptable. North Wales Housing expects residents to show consideration to their neighbours and their community, and not commit, or allow their family or visitors to commit acts of hate.
We encourage both victims and witnesses to take a stand and report any hate related incidents, as we take these very seriously.
What is classed as a Hate Crime?
Unfortunately, not everyone we meet share our views, values and beliefs. Some people can cause a lot of distress by targeting another person because of their identity. Hate crimes can include anything that interferes with your right to live peacefully as you go about your life and they can also happen online.
A hate crime is a crime that the victim (or someone else) thinks happened because of the victims:
- Age
- Disability
- Sex
- Gender identity or reassignment
- Marriage or civil partnership status
- Pregnancy or maternity status
- Race, colour, ethnicity or nationality
- Religion or belief
- Sexual orientation
- Alternative subculture
Examples of some behaviour which can be considered a hate crime:
- Verbal abuse or ridicule
- Bullying
- Assault
- Vandalism and/or arson
- Graffiti or posting of offensive literature
- Threatening behaviour/ communication
- Damage to property
- Abusive gestures
What if I am a victim or if I witness a hate crime?
Anyone can be a victim of hate crime if they are targeted because of who they are and if you have been a victim, don’t suffer in silence. Hate crime is a criminal offence we would advise you to report this to the police on 999 in emergency situations and on 101 for non-emergencies.
If you don’t want to talk to the police, you can report a hate crime by calling Crimestoppers for free on 0800 555 111 or by visiting www.crimestoppers-uk.org to log this online. You don’t have to give your name and what you say is confidential but it’s difficult to fully investigate and act on an incident without your details.
If you have been a victim, them tell a trusted friend or family member about it and use them for support. You can also find agencies to help you cope and recover from what’s happened.
If you see or know somebody affected by hate crime, it’s important to support them. This could be as simple as checking they are ok, to advising them on how they can report the incident. Nobody should feel alone when they have received abuse for being themselves.
How does North Wales Housing deal with Hate Crimes?
If we receive a report of a hate crime, an officer will make contact within 1 working day. We will ask for the details and discuss any immediate action that needs to be taken. If you want us to investigate, we’ll interview you to get all the details and then agree on steps going forward.
We’ll need to collect evidence to help us decide what to do and we may ask you to report the incident to the police. We may work with them to resolve the problem and we could also interview other witnesses.
Throughout the case, we will ask for you to keep us updated of any relevant incidents as this will assist us with case work progression. Our response to reports will always be reasonable and proportionate which can include early intervention tools, as well as legal remedies.
Our investigation may take a few days or a few weeks, but we’ll keep you informed as we go. We’ll then decide what action, if any, we can take to stop the problem, based on whether anyone has breached the terms of their tenancy agreement.
We’ll let you know our decision and get your agreement to any action we want to take. Eventually we’ll close your case. Sometimes there is not enough evidence to take any action and if this is the case we will discuss this with you.
Agencies providing advice, support and information:
- Citizens Advice – Find out what support you can get if you’ve experienced a hate crime or hate incident – including how to report it to the police at www.citizensadvice.org.uk or by calling Citizens Advice (Wales) on 0800 702 2020.
- Victim Support – This is an independent charity that operate a 24/7 Support line and live chat service, every day of the year, offering specialist emotional and practical support to anyone who has been a victim or a witness. You don’t have to report a crime to get help from Victim Support and they can also assist with navigating the legal system. Their website is www.victimsupport.org.uk or they can be contacted by phone on 0808 16 89 111.
