Hate crime reports in Devon and Cornwall up by more than 20%

The aim of the week, which in 2022 runs from 8 October to 15 October, is to raise awareness of hate crime and to encourage victims and witnesses to report offences

The number of reported hate crimes in Devon and Cornwall is on the rise, according to police figures.

Devon and Cornwall Police is staging a week of action for Hate Crime Awareness Week.

Police and crime commissioner Alison Hernandez said there was "work to do" with regards to hate crime in the region.

Supt Antony Hart, the force's hate crime lead, said the force had a "zero tolerance" policy to hate crime.

A hate crime is defined as being motivated by hostility or prejudice because of race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or because a victim is transgender.

Devon and Cornwall Police figures revealed from July 2021 to 31 July 2022, reports of hate crime in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly increased by 21.8 per cent, from 2,371 hate crimes to 2,888.

The increase in reports of hate crime may partly be due to victims having greater confidence to come forward and report, the force said.

However, Ms Hernandez said there was a possibility the increase could also be due to an "issue with tolerance" within communities across the region - and said the goal was to gain a better understanding of the true extent of hate crime in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

She said: "I think for us, we want to be really clear, that there can be some serious consequences, to the extent of murder, that we've even had in Devon and Cornwall linked to hate, so we definitely want people to know the police are improving the way do things and that they need to reach out and make sure they get support if they've been a victim of crime."

'Zero tolerance'

Ms Hernandez said the main type of hate crime in Devon and Cornwall currently was racial hate crime.

She said: "We've had some serious incidences happen in Covid, you know, where people were projecting their concern about the Covid issue onto the Chinese community.

"We just want to make sure that we understand fully what's going on in our communities, because I don't want people to think they can't walk safely down a street late at night or during the day, going about their business, just because of who they are."

Supt Hart, said the force had a "zero tolerance" to hate crime policy.

He said: "We have teams dedicated to supporting victims of hate crime and are committed to working with all of our communities, including our seldom heard groups, to send out a very strong message that hate crime simply will not be tolerated."