Update on proposed development of an integrated hate crime strategy

Report: 10
Date: 8 March 2007
By: Assistant Commissioner Territorial Policing on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

This report will provide the MPA with a view of the strategic vision that has led to proposals for an integrated hate crime strategy in London following extensive initial consultation. This report also contains initial findings from the consultation and sets out how this work is to be taken forward.

This report sets out the current position with regard to the development of a pan-London integrated hate crime strategy and as an opportunity for MPA Members to contribute to discussions about the proposals, strategic view and future development of a strategy.

A. Recommendations

1. That the MPA note the contents of this report.
2. To note that an integrated and cohesive, pan-London Hate Crime Strategy can only be developed with the support of internal and external stakeholders.

B. Supporting information

Introduction

1. The death of Stephen Lawrence and the subsequent inquiry by Sir William McPherson served as a defining moment in policing history. It has concentrated the public’s attention on issues of race and ethnicity. Since publication of the Lawrence Inquiry Report there have been significant changes and developments in the police response to race hate crimes through:

• The establishment of dedicated Community Safety Units
• The use of intelligence to direct resources
• Development of minimum standards
• Identifying and dealing with critical incidents
• Strong leadership and supervision
• Training for front-line and specialist staff
• Extending hate crime to include faith, belief, gender identity, disability and sexual orientation.

2. The London bombings in July 2005 have been described by many as the most devastating hate crime incident in the UK. The events have had, and continue to have an immense impact on all of London’s diverse communities, and have resulted in community cohesion and engagement, multi-culturalism and of course policing being the focus of significant discussions.

3. In light of the above and following internal MPS re-structuring, proposals for a review of the MPS response to hate crime were proposed. The MPS is keen to ensure that it maintains not only its commitment to London’s diverse communities with regard to hate crime but also that the organisation builds upon the work developed since the establishment of Community Safety Units (CSUs) to improve service delivery to victims of hate crime. This must be done in partnership with a range of stakeholders across sectors and must also form part of the wider organisational response to community engagement and diversity being led by the Citizen Focus and Diversity Directorate.

Review and Consultation

4. The past few years have witnessed changes in legislation to improve the response of the criminal justice system to incidents of hate crime through the Criminal Justice Act 2003 which has resulted in enhanced sentencing for race, faith, disability and sexual orientation targeted hate crime and the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill 2006. There has also been much public and political debate about race, racism and community cohesion in the wake of the London bombings and following the development and establishment of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights both of which have provided an impetus for open and frank discussions about community cohesion and social exclusion at all levels.

5. The capital has also witnessed the homophobic murders of Jody Dobrowski and David Morley, the murder of Albert Adams and the desecration of Jewish and Muslim graves. This reaffirms the concerns of Police and communities alike of the potential serious and violent nature of some hate crime incidents and the need to ensure a robust and effective multi-agency response.

6. At a strategic level, the Home Office has established a cross-departmental Virtual Hate Crime Steering Group to look at responses to race, faith and homophobic hate crime. A national delivery plan has been developed and published. The MPS has established its Communities Together Strategy and multi-agency partnership, as a mechanism by which the organisation can communicate with London’s diverse population and provide reassurance.

7. The MPS is fully committed to improving service delivery to all and this includes to victims of hate crime and the proposal for an integrated approach will endeavour to achieve this. This is not, however, to suggest a ‘one size fits all’ approach but a generic, over-arching strategy that incorporates specific, focused responses to specific community issues, recognising the needs of specific victims and communities and taking account of compound discrimination and its impact on victims.

8. As part of a review of the police response to hate crime and in order to develop a strategic framework for taking this area of business forward the MPS undertook a three-month consultation process. Support was sought and secured from a range of partner agencies that participated in the consultation process.

9. The consultation was undertaken in the context of current initiatives, legislative changes and ongoing incidents of hate crime that had resulted in murder. The MPS and its partners were keen to acknowledge the many excellent programmes and initiatives across London involving the CJ agencies and voluntary and community sector agencies and which are contributing positively to improvements in the quality of service given to those affected by hate crime. It is hoped the consultation will be a means to develop an improved multi-agency structure for working across the capital, to co-ordinate activity and to build upon past work.

10. Consultation with key stakeholders took place through a series of specific, focused, one-day events held in May and June culminating in a two-day planning event held in July 2006.

11. The timetable for the consultation events was:

19 May 2006

Internal MPS event

1 June 2006

Race focused event

23 June 2006

LGBT focused event

27 June 2006

Faith focused event

28 June 2006

Disability focused event

4 and 5 July 2006

2-day planning event

(A report outlining issues raised and recommendations etc is being compiled by the Violent Crime Directorate and will be available in March 2007).

Integrated Action Plan

12. Following extensive consultation with partners from across sectors the MPS launched Project Umbra, a London Criminal Justice Board, multi-agency domestic violence initiative to “stop the violence and hold offenders accountable”. Project Umbra is the criminal justice component of the Mayor of London’s second Domestic Violence Strategy. The MPS is keen to adopt the learning to date from developments such as Project Umbra and develop an integrated multi-agency approach to hate crime that will incorporate the specific needs of victims, holds perpetrators to account for their actions, is rooted in joint working and includes longer-term preventative strategies. However, the MPS is fully aware that any future developments will require commitment from all agencies.

13. In developing an integrated hate crime approach the MPS approach will be framed around the following hate crime definitions:

ACPO Hate Crime definition:
A hate incident is defined as any incident which may or may not constitute a criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person as being motivated by prejudice or hate.

Hate crime is defined as:
Any hate incident, which constitutes a criminal offence perceived by the victim or any other person as being motivated by prejudice or hate.

MPS definition:
Any incident that is perceived by the victim or any person to be racist, homophobic, or due to a persons religion, belief, gender identity or disability.

Proposed Hate Crime Strategy

14. The MPS is fully committed to improving service delivery to all and this includes to victims of targeted hate crime and the proposal for an integrated approach will achieve this. This is not, however, to suggest a ‘one size fits all’ approach but a generic, over-arching strategy that incorporates specific, focused pieces of work for individual hate crime areas and moves away from a silo approach to hate crime thereby recognising both the needs of specific victims and communities but also takes account of compound discrimination and its impact.

15. Specificity has been stressed but there are some areas of commonality across the hate crime areas as listed below:

• Need for a strategic, pan-London approach to hate crime that is built on partnership and ensures minimum standards of service across the capital. There are opportunities to work at a local level with the MPA Race Hate Crime Forum.
• Improved joint working and partnerships across all hate crime areas as part of development of a consistent referral process.
• Need for a joint and focused response to the needs of victims.
• Need for an effective, consistent and coordinated response to perpetrators of hate crime.
• Improved data collation and information sharing at pan-London and borough levels.
• Need to share best practice and innovation.
• More efficient and effective use of resources.
• Training for all staff that is tailored to needs.
• Communication strategy and mechanisms.

16. The proposal set out in this report suggests the development of an over-arching hate crime project with the following aims and objectives.

Aim (draft):

17. To develop a holistic and consistent approach to community engagement and reassurance in policing the diverse communities of London through the effective investigation of hate crime.

Objectives (draft):

• To improve service delivery to the diverse communities of London
• To improve community trust and confidence
• To support and enhance victim care
• To hold offenders accountable and challenge their behaviour
• To reduce levels of seriousness and number of incidents of all hate crimes
• To build safer communities

18. This over-arching approach to hate crime would:

• Ensure the development, implementation and monitoring of the generic areas of work as listed above.
• Avoid duplication through the development of a consistent and coordinated approach to hate crime an thereby also be cost effective
• Reassure communities and stakeholders of the MPS and its partners commitment, to work in partnership to address hate crime in the capital
• Review, evaluate and monitor the implementation of the MPS Hate Crime Standard Operating Procedures and Policy

19. This proposal, as with Project Umbra, can only be developed with the commitment and participation of partner agencies across sectors. This approach must begin with widespread consultation.

20. It is imperative that consultation happens with a range of partners for each specific hate crime area prior to joint, generic consultation to ensure that the specific needs and issues of each community are heard, identified and incorporated into the overall project.

21. In developing the MPS’ response to hate crime VCD will consult and work with other MPS colleagues and with a range of partners from across sectors to develop a coordinated, consistent, multi-agency and effective response to all forms of hate crime that meets the specific needs of victims and communities.

Initial Findings from Consultation

22. The consultation initially focused on how the MPS as part of the criminal justice system could improve its response to hate crime in the capital. However, this focus was opened up to look at the multi-agency response to hate crime at local and pan-London level. The agenda for each of the five events was set out as follows:

• Quality of service issues – current situation, gaps and/or barriers, moving forward
• Support for victims of hate crime
• Tackling perpetrators of hate crime.

23. Listed below are just some of the points raised by participants in the consultation. It was stated that an integrated hate crime strategy should:

• Not be MPS led. The Police should rather work in partnership with a range of agencies and not be the lead agency. A lead agency is yet to be identified.
• A problem solving and intelligence led approach that addressed prevention, enforcement and diversion was needed as the basis for the strategy. This approach should be NIM (National Intelligence Model) compliant.
• Identified need for an audit of hate crime in London to inform development of a strategy. This audit should not be based solely on MPS data.
• Need for an audit of current activity to address hate crime in London.
• Need for an holistic strategy that incorporates criminal and civil justice measures to hold offenders accountable but also addresses prevention.
• Strategy should address all forms of hate crime taking into account commonalities and specific needs but also avoiding further enforcing a hierarchy of hate crime and/or victims.
• Training needed for all agencies.
• Need to work with communities and young people.
• A number of agencies working to tackle hate crime but not always known to statutory agencies.
• Clarity needed with regard to links between hate crime and other crimes e.g. anti-social behaviour, alcohol related crime etc.

Next Steps

24. A full report of the consultation events is in the process of being produced and will be circulated by the end of March 2007. Further discussions are to be held with Greater London Authority (GLA) Government Office for London (GoL), Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA), Office for Criminal Justice Reform (OCJR) and the Home Office to devise a way forward taking into account the recommendations from the consultation events.

25. A lead agency will need to be identified and ownership of the strategy agreed in light of majority opinion that this should not be MPS led. Resources and support for such an initiative will also need to be agreed. Whilst there are already resources at strategic and local level dedicated to tackling hate crime agencies must be mindful of the additional burdens that may be placed on such resources by the development of an integrated hate crime strategy.

26. References have been made in this report to Project Umbra and it is imperative that lessons are learned from the development and implementation of the project and applied to any future strategic initiatives.

27. Following the above discussions and identification of a lead agency the MPS would be keen to submit an update to this committee for further discussion.

List of abbreviations

CSUs

Community Safety Units

CJ

Criminal Justice

GLA

Greater London Authority

GoL

Government Office for London

MPA

Metropolitan Police Authority

MPS

Metropolitan Police Service

NIM

National Intelligence Model

OCJR

Office for Criminal Justice Reform

Project Umbra

inter-agency initiative to combat domestic violence

VCD

Violent Crime Directorate

C. Race and equality impact

There are no additional implications for equality and diversity beyond those already reflected within this report. However, race equality impact assessments will be completed prior to the implementation of individual projects and initiatives as required.

D. Financial implications

As stated above the development of an integrated hate crime strategy may require additional resources. Following identification and agreement of a lead agency to take this work forward current resource dedication will need to be reviewed in light of additional workloads.

E. Background papers

None.

F. Contact details

Report author: Yasmin Rehman, Director of Partnerships and Diversity, Violent Crime Directorate.

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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