What is hate crime?

Hate Crime is a criminal offence. It is defined as subjecting a person to harassment, victimisation, intimidation or abuse because of their race or ethnicity, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender identity or age.

This can be committed against a person or property. A victim does not have to be a member of the group at which the hostility is targeted. In fact, anyone could be a victim of a hate crime.

Reporting hate crime

Hate crimes and incidents can be confusing and frightening for individuals and can have an impact on entire communities. By reporting them when they happen to you, you may be able to prevent these incidents from happening to someone else. If offenders are going to be punished, hate crimes must be reported to the police.

Whether you have been a victim, a witness, or you are reporting on behalf of someone else, you can report a hate crime or incident by contacting the police on the non-emergency number 101.

Always dial 999 in an emergency.

Alternatively, you can find out how to report hate crime on the True Vision website.

If you do not feel comfortable talking directly to the police, you can report an incident at a third party reporting centre. We are a third party reporting centre and have several officers that are trained to deal with hate crime reports. If you wish to speak to someone about a hate crime or incident, you can phone us on 01438 242242.

Hertfordshire Beacon victim care centre have specially trained staff that are able to offer free practical help and emotional support. If you have been a victim of hate crime, you can speak with a member of the victim service team on 03000 115555.

Herts Against Hate

Herts against Hate provides information about hate crime to people who live, work in or visit Hertfordshire.

You can find out more about Hertfordshire's hate crime strategy in the following files: