Stop and Tell" and report hate incident

A campaign aimed at encouraging people, particularly those with mental health difficulties, to report hate incidents is being held in Leicestershire next week.

The 2012 Stop and Tell campaign has been organised by the County Council in partnership with the county’s district / borough councils, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust and the police, and will see a variety of awareness raising activities being held between January 23 and 27.

This year the campaign has a focus on raising awareness of hate crime and incidents in relation to mental health issues.

Anyone can be a victim of hate because of their age, disability, gender, race, religion, belief or sexual orientation. However, it is believed that hate incidents are under-reported, including by people who experience mental health difficulties.

Hate incidents can be physical, written or verbal abuse and can take many forms where a person is targeted because they are seen as being different.

On Monday, a new-look hate incident reporting form will be launched by Leicestershire County Council. The form, available at www.leics.gov.uk/reporthate is easier to complete, enabling people to report hate incidents and request advice or support.

The week will also see information about hate incidents made available at all the county’s main libraries, while on the Wednesday Wigston Library will hold a join-in laughter yoga” session.

The drop-in session will provide an opportunity for people with mental health needs - and people who support them - to gain an understanding of hate incidents and hate crime. Laughter yoga helps people to relax and encourages them to open up about bullying.

Information will also be made available to students at Loughborough College, while a number of awareness raising events will be held in county schools during 2012 as part of the drive to encourage people to report hate incidents.

There will also be a training day held for front line staff from partner agencies at County Hall on Monday to enable them to gain a better understanding of the needs of people who use mental health services.

On Wednesday, an event will be hosted at Leicestershire County Council for practitioners and people who use mental health services, in partnership with Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust. The event will provide an opportunity to practitioners in the field of mental health and people who use mental health services to gain an understanding of hate incidents and hate crime.

Joe Orson, County Council Cabinet member for Safer Communities, said: It is important to recognise that hate incidents and hate crime cause a great deal of harm to victims’ lives, their families and the community as a whole.

It is good to see agencies joining up on this very important area of work and recognising the links that need to be made.

Under-reporting of hate incidents and crimes from certain members of our community is a big concern; this includes people who experience mental health difficulties.”

For further information, or to report an incident, contact the Hate Incident Monitoring Project (HIMP).

Chief Constable Simon Cole of Leicestershire Police is the national Association of Chief Police Officers lead for Disability and Mental Health; he signed the MENCAP Policing Promise in October 2011, of behalf of the force, to stand by people with a learning disability to end hate crime. The force is committed to challenging all forms of hate crime.

Chief Inspector Richard Keenan of the Leicestershire Police Delivering Justice Directorate is the force lead for the management of hate crime. He said: Leicestershire Police and partners take all forms of hate crime very seriously. Hate crime reporting is on the rise, as an increasing number of people find the courage to seek the support of local agencies.

You don’t have to suffer in silence; please tell us.” For further information, or to report an incident, contact the Hate Incident Monitoring Project (HIMP).

The HIMP report hate incident on-line form is available at www.leics.gov.uk/reporthate or centres across the county (details are on the website), including any district or borough council. Alternatively call (HIMP) 0116 305 8263 for more details.

For an easy to use form/guidance notes for people with learning disabilities, visit: www.betterlives.org.uk