Hate crime

Everyone should feel safe to live their life without fear of being abused or attacked because of who they are, what they believe, or how they look.

Hate crime can happen to anyone – whatever your age, background, or ethnicity. We support victims from all communities.

In Portsmouth, the 2024 Community Safety Survey showed that 2.8% of people experienced hate crime in the past year. This number hasn’t changed much, so we still need to:

• raise awareness
• encourage people to report hate crime
• make sure support is easy to find

We work with local partners and communities to stand up to hate, promote inclusion, and make Portsmouth safer for everyone.

Hate crime is when someone is targeted because of their:

• race
• religion or belief
• sexual orientation
• disability
• gender identity

If you or someone else thinks a crime happened because of hate, it will be treated as a hate crime.

Hate crime can include:

• physical violence
• verbal abuse
• online abuse
• obscene calls
• criminal damage
• arson
• dumping rubbish
• intimidation

Report all incidents, even if you don’t think they need an immediate response.

For non-emergencies:

• report online or call 101
• you can also report online at True Vision

In an emergency, call 999 if:

• a crime is happening now
• someone suspected of a crime is nearby
• there is danger to life
• violence is being used or threatened

Council tenants (Portsmouth Homes): find out how to report antisocial behaviour and hate crime.

Victim Support offers help and advice for anyone affected by crime. You can also ask for support and learn more about reporting a crime.

• Advice Portsmouth (The YOU Trust) – information and advice on hate crime.
• On Your Side – support for East and Southeast Asian communities.
• Local mental health support – for children, young people, and adults.
• Stop Hate Crime – UK resources to tackle hate crime.
• True Vision – national site for reporting hate crime.
• Equality & human rights commission – promoting equality and rights.
• GOV.UK’s plan to address hate crime and explaining the law around discrimination
• Institute of Race Relations – news and information on race issues in the UK and Europe.