Tackling hate crime

We believe everyone deserves to live free of fear and abuse. To help us reach that goal and act against those who commit a hate crime, you can read more about what a hate crime is and how to report one. This will help us and the police get a better understanding of the problem and how to prevent hate crimes.

Definition of a hate crime

A hate crime or incident takes place when someone is targeted because of their:

• religion or belief
• race or ethnic identity
• transgender identity
• disability
• sexual orientation.

It counts as a hate crime when the law has been broken. However, the police also record all hate incidents, even when the law hasn’t been broken. What matters is why you think you have been targeted.

Examples of hate crimes or incidents

• Assault: including pushing, spitting, or pulling at clothes
• Threats, verbal abuse and abusive gestures
• Damage to property
• Offensive letters and graffiti
• Online abuse
• Harassment

There might be a single incident or a series of incidents. It doesn’t matter where an incident takes place, it can still count as a hate crime.

Report hate crime

To help tackle such criminal behaviour and assist in making the community safer we strongly encourage you to report the incident to the police as soon as possible.

• Call 999 in an emergency – when the offender is still in the area, someone has been injured or there is a risk to life
• Report it online to the local police
• Call 101 to make a non-emergency report to the police
• To report anonymously call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

If you do not want to report to the police directly, you can also report to a trust third-party agency, including:

• Antisemitism: call Community Security Trust  on 0800 032 3263
• Disability hate crime: call Stay Safe East on 0208 519 7241
• Islamophobia: call Tell MAMA on 0800 456 1226
• LGBT+ hate crime: call Galop on 0800 999 5428
• Racism: call The Monitoring Group on 020 7582 7438
• Any other form of hate crime: visit the CATCH website

Help and guidance reporting a hate crime

Our hate crime reporting leaflet guides you through the process of reporting a hate crime, what to expect during the process, and the different forms of support that are available. Reporting a hate crime is important as it helps create a better understanding of the problem and how we can prevent hate crimes happening.

Read our hate crime reporting guide.

Why you should report a hate crime

We know that many hate crimes and incidents are not reported. If more people report hate crime we can gain a better understanding of the problem and how to prevent it from happening.

Reporting it also means that you can access the support that’s available to help you recover from the experience. It is the first step towards ensuring that the offender is caught and deterred from committing a crime again.

If you witness a hate crime or incident you can still report it.

Report illegal or harmful online material

You can report illegal or harmful online material to the police and the website administrator. Make sure to take a screenshot before you report it.

You can make your report this on GOV.UK without giving your name or details.

Support for you

Experiencing hate crime can be a particularly frightening experience as you’ve been targeted because of who you are, or who or what your attacker thinks you are. You may need support from a specialist organisation, counsellor or a local community group to help you cope with what’s happened.

• Find groups in your local community on the Find Your Islington directory 
• Contact CATCH. CATCH is an advocacy service for people over 18 years old facing hate crime in London. It focuses on working with people in the highest levels of risk, impact and need.
• Contact Victim Support. Victim Support is an independent charity that helps people cope with the effects of crime. They can help anyone affected by crime. Not only those who experience it directly, but also their friends, family and any other people involved. It doesn’t matter when the crime took place, or whether you’ve reported it to the police.
• Contact your GP if you need help for your mental or physical health.
• Contact your Housing Officer if you live in an estate owned by a Housing Association, or Registered Social Landlord.

Sign the Islington hate crime pledge

We have created the Islington Hate Crime Pledge so people and organisations in the borough can support and take part in ongoing ways of reducing hate crime in the area. We would like to invite everyone to read the pledge and sign up below.

I/we pledge to:

• unite against hatred or hostility directed at anyone because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or because they are transgender
• if it is safe to do so, challenge those responsible for hate crimes when they occur to show that we do not tolerate hate crime in Islington
• learn about what counts as a hate crime and to share this information with others, including through leaflets, posters and social media posts created by Islington Council and its partners
• report to the police any hate crime I/we witness, suffer, or become aware of, passing on specific details wherever possible, so that the relevant authorities have the information they need to do what they can to tackle it
• support any victim of hate crime, including by helping them to make a report to the police in the best way to help the authorities take appropriate action.

We have had over 300 people sign the pledge – thank you very much to all that have signed so far. See a list of organisations that have signed the pledge.

We're currently working on our hate crime pledge signup form, so please check back later.

Islington Hate Crime Forum

The council supports the independent Islington Hate Crime Forum. We are committed to working with community organisations and individual members of our community through the forum to:

• reduce the risk of becoming the victim of hate crime in Islington
• improve the identification and reporting of hate crimes
• support victims and those who fear being victims of hate crime
• challenge the police to ensure quality investigations are carried out and improve the outcomes for victims who report a hate crime

Membership of the forum consists of community partners who work with and represent all of the protected groups under current hate crime legislation

If you would like support or advice from the forum or an individual member organisation, please email HateCrime@islington.gov.uk.

If you feel unable to report a hate crime or incident then speak to someone for advice, for example a teacher, a youth worker, someone at your place of worship or a community group or another organisation.

Hate crime training

Further your hate crime knowledge by completing our free 40-minute online training. You will learn how hate crime affects people, how to report it and what support services are available for victims.&

To register your interest, email HateCrime@islington.gov.uk.

Become a Hate Crime Prevention Champion

Help tackle Hate Crime by becoming a Hate Crime Prevention Champion. Many hate crimes are not reported and victims often suffer in silence. We believe everyone deserves to live free from fear and abuse. We are asking you to help us raise awareness of hate crime, so more people know how to report it and access support.

What you will do

• Encourage the reporting of hate crime/hate incidents
• Promote community understanding and awareness of hate crime, e.g. by distributing leaflets and attending hate crime events
• Identify when a hate crime may have occurred
• Support victims to report hate crime and signpost them to support services
• Engage with the work delivered by the Islington Hate Crime Forum
• Deliver at least three hate crime activities a year, this could include community engagement events or training sessions

What you will get

• free training delivered by our Community Safety team
• An improved understanding and confidence in speaking about hate crime 
• Certificate of recognition 
• Access to hate crime resources 
• Be invited to hate crime events organised by Islington Hate Crime Forum 

Why you should become a Hate Crime Prevention Champion

You have:

• an interest in tackling discrimination  
• an interest in supporting others 
• experience of or interest in working with community groups.

To find out more or register your interest, email HateCrime@islington.gov.uk.