We are proud to share with you that Help on Your Doorstep is now a third party reporting centre for hate crime. We have taken on this role to help prevent hate crime in Islington and help support victims of hate crime. Improved reporting of hate crime will also help the police response and help protect people affected by hate crime.

What is a hate crime or a hate incident?

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 sexual orientation; disability or perceived disability and any crime motivated by hostility or prejudice against a person who is transgender or perceived to be transgender.‘

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.

Examples of what could be reported as a hate crime include:

• Someone being verbally racially abused in the street either by someone they know or a stranger
• Someone being attacked in their home or in the street because they are disabled.
• Someone being sent threatening messages on social media because they are transgender.

What is third party reporting?

Third-party reporting is when someone else reports the crime to the police on behalf of the victim. It ensures that the police will receive a report about the crime. It is always best that, if possible, the crime is reported to the police by the victim themselves. This can be done by calling 101 or online. In an emergency, you should always phone 999.

However, if the victim feels unable to report the crime themselves then we can do it for them. Our staff have now been trained on third party reporting and will be able to report a hate crime to the police on behalf of an Islington resident, should the resident want this. The victim can remain anonymous when this report is made if they choose.

By reporting a hate crime, either directly or through third-party reporting with us/ others, victims will be able to access support and advice and may also prevent future crimes from happening.

Ken Kanu, Director of Help on Your Doorstep says, “Now that our staff are able to report hate crimes to the police on behalf of residents we can support Islington residents who are victims of hate crime in a new way. It’s great to be part of the movement to prevent hate crime and  allow us to continue to help make the lives of Islington residents easier and safer.”

If you have been affected by hate crime and would like to speak to one of our team regarding third-party hate crime reporting, please click here to find out our contact details.