Race hate crime reports hit record high in Norfolk last year
They were up 2 percent on the previous year
Last updated 19th Oct 2020
Racially-motivated hate crimes hit a record high in Norfolk last year, new figures reveal.
It comes as a government report revealed a spike in racially and religiously-motivated hate crime during the coronavirus pandemic, seemingly fuelled by Black Lives Matter and far-right protests.
Home Office data shows 654 race hate crimes were recorded by Norfolk Constabulary in 2019-20.
That was up by 2% compared to the previous year, when 641 racist incidents were reported, and the highest figure since comparable records began in 2011-12.
It reflected the picture across England and Wales, where 76,070 race hate crimes were recorded last year - a 6% rise on the previous year's figure.
Figures exclude Greater Manchester Police, as the force still cannot supply data due to an error when implementing new IT systems last year.
A separate report published by the Home Office, looking at trends during the coronavirus pandemic, warned that racially or religiously motivated hate crimes in June were a third higher than the previous year and remained high in July.
It said this is 'likely to be related to the Black Lives Matter protests and far-right groups’ counter-protests in England and Wales following the death of George Floyd on May 25 in the United States of America'.
Alex Raikes, strategic director of Bristol-based charity Stand Against Racism and Inequality, said the charity saw a "major impact" on its work due to such protests.
He added:
"Covid has also led to a spike in attacks on Chinese and South Eastern Asian community members as well as attacks by frustrated ‘locked in’ people on their BME neighbours."
In Norfolk, 1,037 hate crimes of any type were recorded by officers in the year to March - up 1% on 2018-19.
Racially-motivated incidents accounted for 63% of those, followed by hostility towards someone's sexual orientation (19%).
Across England and Wales, police recorded 105,090 hate crimes in the last year - a record high, and an 8% rise on the previous year's figures.
The Home Office said the increase can be put down to improvements in recording and awareness of hate crime, but added genuine rises after events such as the EU referendum in 2016 and terror attacks the following year have also contributed.
The latest statistics come amid National Hate Crime Awareness Week, a national initiative aimed at increasing recognition of the crime and supporting those who are victims of hate.
Deputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton, hate crime lead for the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said it is still concerning to see that people are being targeted for who they are.
He added:
"Over recent years police have worked hard to improve our response to hate crime, including better recording of offences and more training for officers.
"Everyone has the right to live their lives without fear of being attacked, either physically or verbally. Police take all reports of threats and abuse seriously and we will work to bring perpetrators to justice."
The Home Office said those who commit "hateful attacks should feel the full force of the law".