Reports of hate crimes to Northumbria Police have increased with more than 2,000 allegations of abusive attacks based on the victim's race.
A total of 3,663 hate crimes were reported to Northumbria Police, with other attacks targeting the victim's sexuality, gender, disability or religious views.
According to the Police and Crime Commissioner's annual report, 2022 saw a five per cent increase from last year's 3,481 reported incidents. Only hate crimes targeting people's faith decreased slightly from last year.
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Here is a breakdown of the reported hate crimes in 2022:
Race: 2,110 (+3%)
Faith: 217 (-4%)
Disability: 472 (+14%)
Gender: 41 (+156%)
Age: 12 (+33%)
Homophobic: 698 (+11%)
Transphobic: 109 (+14%)
According to the PCC's report, victims of hate crimes have criticised Northumbria Police for the length of time it takes to investigate. Some also claimed they were not kept informed during investigations. Overall victim satisfaction with the police's handling of hate crimes has dropped from 81% in 2021 to 74% this year.
In the report, Northumbria PCC Kim McGuinness said: "While I am proud to be Police and Crime Commissioner of such a welcoming region made up of many diverse communities, there are always some people who want to incite hatred and that is completely unacceptable. I want all victims to feel listened to, regardless of background.
"I recognise the importance of reaching out to those communities who are perhaps uncomfortable contacting the police. The Chief Constable and I are committed to doing all we can to strengthen relationships with all communities and we will continue striving to recruit from a diverse range of backgrounds to better reflect the communities we serve."
Superintendent Claire Wheatley, of Northumbria Police’s harm reduction department, said: “We want to make it clear that anyone who is subjected to any form of threatening, abusive or violent behaviour is a victim of crime and will receive our support. When someone is targeted simply because of who they are and what they believe in that is a hate crime.
“We recognise the impact this can have on victims and such offending is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Reports of hate crimes have risen nationally every year since records began in 2012, and we believe that is largely down to an increase in information and knowledge around what constitutes a hate crime, as well as an increase in confidence in reporting offences.
“We will continue to work hard to build on the relationships we have with the wonderfully diverse communities we are proud to serve and be a part of here in the North East to further increase this confidence. We would urge anyone who has been the victim of a hate crime to come forward.
“Please be assured you will be supported and we are committed to bringing offenders to justice. To report a suspected hate crime, visit our website’s online reporting tool or call 101.”
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