People are being urged to help raise awareness of Wolverhampton’s zero tolerance of hate crime during national Hate Crime Awareness Week, which is now underway.

Hate crime is any criminal offence committed against a person or property which is motivated by an offender's hatred of someone because of their race, colour, ethnic origin or nationality, their religion, their gender or gender identity, their sexual orientation, or their disability.

It can take many forms, from physical attacks such as an assault, damage to property, offensive graffiti and arson, to verbal abuse or insults or the threat of attack, including the sending of offensive letters, emails or texts, abusive or obscene telephone calls or malicious complaints.

The Safer Wolverhampton Partnership is calling on people to help raise awareness of the issue, and understand the ways that victims of, or witnesses to, an incident can report hate crime, during this year's national Hate Crime Awareness Week, which runs until Saturday (18 October). People can:

  • Call police on 101 – or dial 999 if it is an emergency
  • Contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111
  • Report in person to the police at any police station or one of the Police Hate Crime drop-ins – see Wolverhampton Hate Crime for details
  • Report at any Third-Party Reporting Centre – independent organisations that have been trained to record hate crimes and incidents, offer support and signpost to other help. See Wolverhampton Hate Crime for details
  • Visit Stop hate crime and fill in the online reporting form which will be forwarded to police for investigation
  • If an incident occurs on a train or the Midland Metro, text British Transport Police on 61016
  • If the incident is Islamophobic in nature visit Tell MAMA or call 0800 456 1226
  • If the incident is anti-Semitic, it can be reported via Community Security Trust’s website, or by calling 0208 457 9999.  

Councillor Obaida Ahmed, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Digital and Community, said: "The Safer Wolverhampton Partnership takes hate crime incredibly seriously, and all reports will be fully investigated by police.  

“We'll be using Hate Crime Awareness Week to get people thinking about how they can respond to hate crime if they witness or are victims to it.

"Most importantly, we'll be encouraging people to report instances of hate crime, which will enable victims to get the support they need and to ensure those committing it are met with justice."

People can find out more about hate crime by logging on to Wolverhampton Hate Crime. For details visit National Hate Crime Awareness week.