Hampshire police looking to stamp out hate crimes against LGBT+ community

On May 17, Hampshire Constabulary will be marking International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT).

Hate crimes range from verbal abuse, either online or in person, to physical assault and damage to property.

The police force has an LGBT+ resource group and lesbian and gay liaison officers (LAGLOs) to promote inclusion.

Co-chairman of the resource group, Inspector Scott Johnson, said: ‘LAGLOs help Hampshire Constabulary reinforce its approach for safer LGBT+ communities. Our LAGLOs all have specific skills alongside extra experience and training to manage issues with our LGBT+ communities.

‘Hate crimes and hate incidents can take place anywhere – at home, in the street, at work, online or at school.

‘No one should have to live with the fear, anxiety and consequences of hate. These are incidents which are motivated by hostility or prejudice based on your actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, race or religion.’

The date marking IDAHOBIT was originally selected to commemorate the decision to remove homosexuality from the International Classification of Diseases from the World Health Organisation on May 17, 1990.

Inspector Johnson says Hampshire Constabulary wants to better understand the extent of hate crime in Portsmouth and the surrounding area, and is thus urging anyone who has been a victim of this to come forward.

He said: ‘Reporting it when it happens will help the police to deal with it and may prevent these incidents from happening to someone else.

‘You will also help the police understand the extent of hate crime in your local area so they can better respond to it.

‘If you've been the victim of crime because of your sexual orientation or gender identity, you can speak to any police officer or member of staff. If you want to speak to someone with a greater understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities, you can always ask to speak with one of our LAGLOs.’

People who don’t want to report their experiences directly to police can also go to third party reporting centres.

For more information go to hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/hco/hate-crime.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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