Renfrewshire libraries make it easier to report hate crime

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Victims of crimes motivated by race, gender, sexuality or disability, in Renfrewshire can now report incidents without going to a police station.

Libraries across Renfrewshire have become designated ‘third party reporting sites’ for hate crime.

This means they are locations, other than police offices, which allow victims, or people concerned about victims, of hate crime to report incidents without having to speak directly to the police.

A hate crime is any criminal offence committed against a person or property that is motivated by an offender's hatred of someone because of their:

• race, colour, ethnic origin, nationality or national origins
• religion
• gender identity
• sexual orientation
• disability

New laws have also just come into force which treats hate crimes against disabled or lesbian, gay, bisexual or transsexual people in the same way as racially motivated crimes.

Renfrewshire library staff have been trained to listen and support victims, help people inform the police, take as many details as people are happy to give, complete relevant forms and contact community police officers.

Councillor Eileen McCartin, Convener of Renfrewshire Council's Community and Family Care policy board, said: "We know that while things like racist and homophobic crimes take place, many victims do not report these to the police.

"We want to change that and increase people’s confidence in reporting this type of crime by making it easier to do so. It may be daunting to go to a police station but less so to go into a library and talk to someone there. Staff have been trained to offer victims the support they need to report incidents. This sends a clear message that hate crime will not be tolerated in Renfrewshire."

The initiative to make libraries third party reporting sites is part of the Safer and Stronger Renfrewshire Strategy which aims to make Renfrewshire a safer place to live, work and visit.

Chief Inspector Lee Wilson of Strathclyde Police said "Remote reporting offers victims of hate crimes the chance to report incidents either online via Strathclyde Police website or at a reporting centre like libraries in Renfrewshire, in a confidential and supportive environment."

Press release issued: Monday 29 March 2010