As part of National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2015 (10-17 October) we will be publishing a series of blogs giving a variety of perspectives on hate crime and the work agencies across Warwickshire are doing to tackle the issue.

You’ll hear from frontline staff, service providers and victims themselves on the many forms that hate crime can take.

Hate crime is any criminal offence committed against a person or property that is motivated by an offender’s hostility or prejudice towards someone because of their:

• race or perceived race (including nationality, national origin, ethnic origin, race and colour)
• religion or perceived religion
• sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation
• disability or perceived disability
• transgender or perceived transgender
• individual characteristics that makes someone appear different e.g. alternative lifestyle, culture, physical appearance and style of dress

Hate crime can take many forms including:

• physical attacks – such as physical assault, damage to property, offensive graffiti, neighbour disputes and arson
• threat of attack – including offensive letters, abusive or obscene telephone calls, groups hanging around to intimidate and unfounded, malicious complaints
• verbal abuse or insults – offensive leaflets and posters, abusive gestures, dumping of rubbish outside homes or through letterboxes, and bullying at school or in the workplace

We take dealing with hate crime seriously. Agencies across Warwickshire are working together to tackle the issue, but we can’t do this without you. If you have been a victim and didn’t report it, please report it. The police are there to help you and support is available. Don’t suffer alone.

How to report hate crime

• report it online to True Vision at http://www.report-it.org.uk/your_police_force
• in an emergency call 999
• for non-emergencies call 101
• call into a police station or stop a police officer in the street
• call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111
• call Victim Support on 0845 30 30 900