There's concerns hate crimes across Lincolnshire aren't being reported
The force says that victims tell them it's part of their everyday life, so they don't report it regularly
Last updated 5th Mar 2024
We're hearing that hate crime could be a bigger issue in Lincolnshire than it's thought, as Police say these crimes are under reported
The force say that a public order offence - where someone uses words with hidden meanings or says something that is offensive to certain communities - is the most common type of hate crime in the county.
Detective Chief Inspector James Hoyes is the Hate Crime Lead with Lincolnshire Police.
He tells us how trends have been changing:
The numbers are however small
"So, within Lincolnshire, we have seen an increase of hate crime by about 10% compared to last year.
However, those numbers are small.
A 10% rise is about 10 crimes, so the numbers are very small.
We are aware of the national trends for the increase in anti-Semitic and Islamophobic, also known as Anti Muslim hate crime.
Following on from the terrorist attack on the 7th of October in Israel - we've not seen a significant increase in that type of hate crime in Lincolnshire.
But we do continue to monitor that closely.
We'll always work with any part of the community of Lincolnshire to ensure that they feel safe.
We often see assaults or criminal damage motivated by hatred
"Quite commonly we do see assaults motivated by hatred or criminal damage as well.
So, the majority of hate crime in Lincolnshire is a result of a verbal altercation, usually as part of a neighbour dispute, or whilst in the street.
A neighbour dispute can be any time of day, obviously, but particularly that type of street offending is usually part of our night time economy.
"We are aware that being a victim of hate crime online is also increasing, but just because it's online doesn't reduce the impact it has on people.
And that I do encourage you to report that to us."
He added that it's important to report when hate crime happens:
It's never too late to report a hate crime
"So hate crime is an area that isn't a specific offence, but it can cover any offence where it is motivated by hostility towards certain characteristics and they are race, religion, sexual orientation, disability and transgender.
"It is never too late to report, no matter how long ago it is, we still encourage you to report this.
We know that reporting when you've been a victim of hate crime can feel really difficult for a number of reasons, such as feeling you won't be believed, or that no action will be taken but hate crime in Lincolnshire is taken seriously.
Lincolnshire Police will encourage anybody to report when they've been a victim of hate crime.
"This can be done online, or by calling 101, by calling 999 - if it's an emergency and you immediately need police assistance - or via an independent reporting mechanism called Truvision and you can search that online."