Hate crime and harassment
What is hate crime?
Read the easy read hate crime information resource and read the Southwark hate crime strategy 2011 - 2015
A hate crime is any criminal offence committed against a person or property that is motivated by hatred of someone because of their race, colour, ethnic origin, nationality or national origins, religion, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, disability or age.
Stop Hate 24 hour reporting
A new initiative to tackle hate crime, jointly funded by Southwark Council and Southwark Police, will provide 24 hour reporting facilities for victims and witnesses of hate crime and/or incidents.
Victims and witnesses can contact the Stop Hate Line by phone, text, post or online to report Hate Crimes, access support and information.
The Stop Hate Line is run by Stop Hate UK who is an independent charity providing emotional and practical support for anyone who has experienced hate crime.
People can access the Stop Hate Line by calling 0800 138 1625. View the full range of Stop Hate reporting options available through this service.
In an emergency you should always dial 999. You should use this service to contact police in situations when you need an immediate response - if the crime is happening now or if anyone is in immediate danger.
In a non-emergency you can contact the police on the 24 hour number 101. You can also use this number to contact your local Safer Neighbourhood Teams.
SASBU and the Safer Neighbourhoods Teams
The safer neighbourhoods teams are dedicated to your community and are additional to other policing teams and units in London. If you have concerns about day-to-day crime and disorder issues, or if you would like to get involved, visit the Metropolitan Police.
SASBU is a multi agency team, including officers from housing, the police and the youth offending team, who are responsible for dealing with the person allegedly committing the offence taking legal action, arranging victim support, and organising systems for collecting evidence and information.
Contact SASBU on 020 7525 5777 or by emailing sasbu@southwark.go.uk For further information read about crime prevention advice.
