Kiran Vagarwal  and Katy Saunders presented the Hate Crime update.

Hate crime is defined, by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) as: “any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a personal characteristic; specifically actual or perceived race, religion, sexual orientation, disability and transgender identity”

Hate crime is a strategic priority for the Community Safety Partnership and Mayor of London as stated in the MOPAC Police and Crime Plan 2017-21.

Data from the MPS hate crime dashboard shows that for the financial year 2020-21 Merton saw 392 reports of hate crimes made to Police, an increase of 9% compared to 2019-20. For the MPS as a whole the rise was 16%.

Nearly 80% of hate crimes in Merton are under the racist strand.

Merton’s Hate Crime Strategy Group continue to meet quarterly. The group is made up of organisations in Merton representing the different strands of hate crime. The Police South West BCU Hate Crime Lead also sits on the group.

A priority of the group is to continue to work on expanding Merton’s Hate Crime Third Party Reporting scheme. AFC Wimbledon, Tooting and Mitcham FC and 10 Coaching Academy have signed up this year.

Hate Crime Advice Surgeries take place with partners including Tell MAMA, Polish Family Association, BAME Voice, Inner Strength Network and Merton CIL on a monthly basis (currently over the phone, moving back to face to face in Merton Civic Centre once restrictions allow).

A new strategy running 2022-26 and an annual work plan are being developed.

Actions on the work plan will be updated by the Hate Crime Strategy Group each quarter, with an annual report at the end of each year – highlighting key achievements and recommendations on what work continues/ stops. The aim is for this to be shared with the community.

The Hate Crime Strategy Group have recently finalised the work plan for 2021-22 (circulated prior to meeting).

The work plan is based around the following four themes:

Coordination - Ensure that the response to Hate Crime is shared by all stakeholders, embedded into service plans, and coordinated effectively

Prevention - Preventing Hate Crime through a change of people’s attitudes and proactive policing

Provision - Improve provision of specialist support and reporting centres

Protection - To provide effective response to perpetrators outside of and within the criminal justice system

Key work in the year ahead

Hate Crime Awareness Week (HCAW) 2021 runs 9th-15th October 2021.

This year there will be a mix of online events and engagement stalls. The launch event ‘Challenging Transgender Hate Crime – Free to Be’ will take place on Monday 11th October 2021 and will focus on the national theme for HCAW which is Transgender hate crime.

There will be a number of engagement events throughout the week covering the different strands of hate crime, including an event focusing on race hate crime, a coffee morning with Polish Family Association and ACT (Action Counters Terrorism training) with the Police.

During the week we will link in with the campaigns being led by the Police Safer Neighbourhood Teams, British Transport Police and Safer Transport. We will also work with the Safer Schools Officers to ensure hate crime is covered in their assemblies and presentations during the week.

We will continue to work to expand and promote our Hate Crime Third Party Reporting scheme and support those organisations taking part. This includes working with different groups in the community who may wish to join the scheme.

We will mark IDAHOBIT (International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia) on May 17th 2022 with a rainbow flag raising ceremony at Merton Civic Centre.

It should be noted that following an amendment to the Domestic Violence Bill in April 2021, Police nationwide have been asked to trial recording Misogyny as a hate crime from the autumn.

Q:How many families or individuals are helped by the drop in centres? What is the social media reach?

A: Due to the pandemic the numbers accessing the Hate Crime Advice surgery have been low. Keen to start face to face again and this may help. We do have the statistics for social media, we usually do a video with the Borough Commander.  The aim is to use social media more this year.

Q: The Race statistics highlight what is happening in society. Young people feel separated  from what the council does, e.g. get young people to create a video or campaign. We need to interact with the people who are the victims. The Black Lives Matter protests were mainly attended by the under 30’s. Young people are not reporting hate crimes.

A:People often don’t report hate crime. The council has good links with

Merton College and link in with the college during Hate Crime Awareness Week. People aged between 20 and 40 years are more likely to be hate crime victims.

Q: Before the pandemic a group of men were going into the barbershops  handing out leaflets outlining the support available to victims of hate crime, will they continue?

A: Katy was not sure who they were, she and a colleague have visited barber shops and nail shop and gave out Safer Merton leaflets.

Q: Lee Townsend from Croydon has worked with local people to address hate crime in the past, it was suggested that Safer Merton looks into it

Kiran will take away the suggestion to work closer with young people.  Consideration will be given to incorporating engagement with young people and community outreach into the communication plan.

Q: It is important to get people together  and understanding both sides. Glad attitudes are changing. Getting football clubs involved may be a way to get young people involved and communicating more. How is the recruitment drive going?

A:A report is going to the Overview and Scrutiny Commission on 8 September outlining Safer Merton’s work and a hate crime update is include. We are working with football clubs for third party reporting sites.

Q:A  successful Football Academy was set up in Pollards Hill by a previous PCSO, JJ and continues to do well with youth engagement.