Tackling Disability Hate Crime in Cleveland...• 2013/14 –22 disability hate incidents reported...

www.cleveland.pcc.police.uk‘Your Force Your Voice’

Tackling Disability Hate Crime in

Cleveland

Barry Coppinger, Police and Crime Commissioner

www.cleveland.pcc.police.ukwww.cleveland.pcc.police.uk

‘Your Force Your Voice’

• National focus on Disability Hate following Fiona

Pilkington case

• Local focus - Keith Philpott in Billingham, targeted due to

his learning disabilities, tortured and murdered

• 2013/14 – 22 disability hate incidents reported across

Cleveland in 12 month period

• Only 8 of these recorded as actual crimes

Hate Crime – The Cleveland Picture



• Consultation with disabled community:– Young people with learning disabilities

– Middlesbrough Community Inclusion Service – providing support for

adults with learning disabilities

– Hartlepool Blind Welfare Association

– Guide Dogs Association

– Royal National Institute for the Blind

• Consultation with carers– Inclusion North facilitated workshops

Is this the real Cleveland Picture?????



• Disabled people, particularly those with learning

disabilities, face frequent verbal abuse due to their

disabilities.

• Sometimes physical abuse as well.

• Public transport is an issue – especially buses.

• People change their routines to avoid the ‘bullies’ –

arriving early for day centres, avoiding the ‘school run.’

• Sometimes people completely lose their independence.

• Reluctance to report – embarrassed or simply don’t

realise incidents can be reported.

What did we learn?



Education

• Worked with disabled

community to design a

Cleveland wide poster

campaign

• Staff awareness – in police

stations

• Community awareness – in

community venues

• Highlighted with disability

groups and carers



• Research told us that those who worked with or cared for

disabled people didn’t know what disability hate crime

was – people told to ‘forget about it’

• Hate Crime Champions – network of people who live

with, work with, support or have family members with a

disability

• Trained to recognise the signs of hate crime and to

support people in reporting incidents

Hate Crime Champions Training



• Invited 3 local bus companies to attend meeting with

Police and Crime Commissioner and disability groups.

• 2 companies attended.

• All bus drivers given hate awareness training – training

reviewed by disability group.

• Community education – need to tell bus driver when

incidents are happening.

Transport Issues



Cleveland Wide Bus Poster Campaign



• Training for front line– Recognising the added impact of hate crime on disabled community

– How to spot the signs

– How to encourage communities to report

• DVD shown to all front line police officers and staff

• Local Authorities

• College staff

• Bus drivers

• Real life scenarios

Training for front line staff



Disability Hate Crime DVD - Training



Third Party Reporting Centres

• Multi agency group chaired by

PCC Office

• Cross Cleveland logo and

reporting form

• Cross Cleveland standards

• Multi agency training for all

TPRCs

• Volunteers quality checking

venues

• Publicity launch



Safe Places

• Community venues where

people can go to feel safe

• Corporate sign up – Marks and

Spencers

• Publicised on PCC website

• Checked by PCSOs

• Work with Adult Safeguarding

to raise awareness of venues



• 2013/14 – 22 disability hate incidents reported across

Cleveland in 12 month period – only 8 recorded as

crimes.

• 2014/15 – 54 disability hate incidents reported, 19 of

these recorded as crimes

• 145% increase

Has it all had an impact????



• Cross Cleveland/Durham dip sampling of all hate crime

strands – how to improve and identifying best practice.

• Victim Support contacting victims to hear about their

experience.

• Likely recommendations around disability hate crime– Better knowledge of special measures from front line staff – should be

offered more consistently

– Better understanding of victim needs – support through prosecution

What next???



Disability Hate Crime DVD - Schools



• Show Racism the Red Card– Over 2000 pupils had workshops

– 3 teacher training conferences planned

– Football stadium event

• Media Culture CIC – Islamophobia/community cohesion teacher training for 10 pilot schools

• Community engagement– IAGs

– Religious establishments

– Regional Refugee Forum

– Multi cultural events - Middlesbrough Mela, Stockton Eid Fusion

Race Hate Crime

Tackling Disability Hate Crime in Cleveland...• 2013/14 –22 disability hate incidents reported...

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