Decision details

Reshma Hirani, Community Hate Crime Reporting Coordinator presented her report and slides.

Ms Hirani reported that Barnet Hate Crime Strategy focuses on how to increase reporting of hate crime, support victims and increase community confidence.

The Metropolitan Police had reported a rise in hate crime reporting during the pandemic, including arguments over the use of face coverings leading to racist abuse. There had also been an increase in online hate crime during the pandemic, and an increase in interpersonal hate crime (where the victim knows the perpetrator).

Of the 941 incidents of anti-Semitic hate crime recorded across Greater London in 2020, 243 had been in Barnet.

The Zero Tolerance to Hate Crime Project in Barnet provided support for the Chinese community. There had been an emergence nationally in early 2020 of hate crime towards people who appear of Chinese or South East Asian origin.

Barnet Council’s training programme on identifying and reporting hate crime continued, with 350 staff at 36 organisations having been trained during 2020/21.

Mr Rosengard reported and together with Ray Booth and Reshma Hirani he is working the Access to Justice Group, a sub group of the Safeguarding Adults Board. The group had produced the Strategy for the SCPB to approve (included with the agenda).

Mr Leng asked how this fits in with work carried out by Children’s Services. Ms McElligot responded that there are separate strands of work in Children’s Services but links between the two probably need to be strengthened.

Mr Leng asked what happens if crimes are not reported as ‘crime’, and whether they are still followed up. Ms Hirani responded that other interventions can take place such as removing a perpetrator’s bus pass. So all reports are followed up.

The Board approved the Barnet Hate Crime Strategy 2020-24.