Good Morning Residents This week (10 –17 October) is National Hate Crime Awareness Week, which is all about solidarity and support for those affected by hate crime. A hate crime is any criminal offence driven by hostility or prejudice towards someone because of their transgender identity, sexual orientation, disability, race or ethnicity, religion or belief. These crimes can take many forms, including: Hate crimes can happen to anyone and can happen anywhere – at home, in public, online, at work or at school. As part of our regular programme of engagement activities, our neighbourhood officers will be out and about in the community over the next seven days, hosting surgeries at various venues, visiting places of worship, going into schools, and carrying out patrols. Our officers are happy to talk about the work we’re doing to tackle hate crime but also about other offences or issues that may be causing concern in your neighbourhood. If you experience or witness a hate crime or incident, we are here to support you. Call 999 if you feel you are in danger, threats have been made against you or if a crime is in progress For non-emergencies, call 101 or contact us through our website
Alternatively, you can report it at a Third-Party Reporting Centre. These are community locations – such as libraries, family hubs and local organisations – where you can report hate crimes or incidents without having to contact the police directly. Staff at these centres are trained to handle these reports sensitively, signpost to support and confidentially share the information with police to investigate. You can find out more about hate crime and what to do if you experience or witness it, on our website: What is hate crime? | West Midlands Police. Our How to report hate crime | West Midlands Police webpage also contains a list of your local Third-Party Reporting Centres. Thank You | 
