FRESh defines a hate incident as: “…where a person or group of people is insulted, harassed, belittled, or attacked because those doing so dislike or hate what they think the victim is, based on seeing them as ‘other’, or ‘not like us’, or as in some way less than themselves.”
It is important to report a hate incident
-even if the incidentmight seem small or trivial at first
-even if this sort of incident happens regularly
-even if you don’t know the victim
-even if you don’t know the perpetrator
-even if you know neither the victim nor the perpetrator
-even if you don’t want to give your name, the victim’s name or the perpetrator’s name
-even if you’ve only heard about it from someone else
-even if you don’t want the police involved
-even if you don’t want any action to be taken.
Reporting helps build a picture of what happens in our communities, which means prevention can be more focused. Your report helps prevent hate from happening again.
Reporting can be done anonymously and the police don’t have to be involved. It is up to you whether you give your name, the victim’s name or the perpetrator’s name.
It is up to you whether you want any action to be taken.
There are a number of ways to report hate incidents in Shropshire; in person, on the phone, using email, an online form or by post. There are community reporting centres which are not run by the police. These are being reviewed at the moment, but ones we are aware of are listed below. If you experience or see hate on social media, you can contact the provider of that social medium directly. If you also report it locally that will help in building a picture of hate experienced in Shropshire.
If you need support as a victim or a witness, contact Victim Support West Mercia on 01905 726 885 or nationally on 0808 168911 (free and confidential).
Reporting in person
You can report a hate incident by going to your local police station or to one of the community reporting centres. These are located as follows:
North Shropshire area:
- Citizens Advice Shropshire – Oswestry
34 Arthur Street, Oswestry SY11 1JN
- Derwen College
Gobowen, Oswestry, SY11 3JA
Central Shropshire area:
- Citizens Advice Shropshire – Shrewsbury
Fletcher House, 15 College Hill, Shrewsbury, SY1 1LY
- Severndale School
Monkmoor Campus, Woodcote Way, Shrewsbury, SY2 5SH
- Severnside Housing Association
Brassey Road, Old Potts Way, Shrewsbury, SY3 7FA
- Shrewsbury College
London Road, Shrewsbury, SY2 6PR
- Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service
Brigade headquarters, St Michael’s Street, Shrewsbury, SY1 2HJ
South Shropshire area:
- Citizens Advice Shropshire – Ludlow
Ludlow Youth Centre, Lower Galdeford, Ludlow, SY8 1RT
Reportingby phone
- Citizens Advice Shropshire 03444 99 11 00, Text relay 03444 11 445
- Severndale School 01743 281600
- Severnside Housing Association 0845 234242
- Shrewsbury College 01743 342342
- Shropshire Council 0345 678 90 20 (Anti-Social Behaviour Hotline)
- West Mercia Police:
In emergency: 999 or 112
Emergency SMS Text message (register first)
Non-emergency 101, or Text Service 18000
- Crimestoppers (national & anonymous) 0800 555 111
You can report by email by downloading a form from the Shropshire Council website. The form gives you the option to share personal information with the police.
Completed forms can be sent to
Online
Anonymous form on Crimestoppers website:
Form on police website:
There are a number of Apps that you can download to report with.
Post
Download the ‘self-reporting form’ from the police website and send it to your local police station.There are Easyread versions available.