The Essex Police Strategic Hate Crime Partnership (SHCP) is establishing a network of accredited Hate Incident Reporting Centre (HIRC)/ Hate Crime Ambassadors across Essex to create more opportunities to ‘Report It to Sort It’
What is a HIRC?
Hate Incident Reporting Centres, or HIRC’s, are community venues where individuals can report hate incidents and hate crimes, either as a victim or a witness. A HIRC can act as an alternative place for reporting hate crimes/hate incidents rather than directly to the police.
A HIRC works in collaboration with Essex Police and other partner agencies to provide support and information during the reporting process.
“Becoming an accredited HIRC has been important for our organisation as all our sta ff are now able to support people with a learning disability to have confidence to stand up against hate crime and hate incidents. We want to encourage people with a learning disability to stop living with hate incidents as part of their everyday lives.”
Marc McOwens, Southend Mencap
Why do we need HIRCS?
According to the 2011 Crime Survey of England and Wales only 23% of hate crimes/hate incidents were reported.
Recommendation 16 of the Stephen Lawrence inquiry recognises the need for “the ability to report at locations other than police stations.”
It is clear that victims/witnesses feel more comfortable reporting at alternative venues for a number of reasons.Hate Crime Ambassadors
Hate Crime Ambassadors are community members who raise hate crime awareness and promote reporting of hate incidents crime.
Hate Crime Ambassadors will need to:
- Successfully complete a half day accredited training session run by Essex Police. This will provide you with the knowledge and information to recognise a hate incident or hate crime, take an eff ective report, and provide advice and support.
- Take part in a minimum of two hate crime/incident educational or awareness raising activities annually, either individually or in conjunction with other partners, HIRCS or Hate Crime Ambassadors.
“Becoming a Hate Crime Ambassador has created a new awareness for my organisation, and given staff members the confidence to report hate crimes and incidents. As a Hate Crime Ambassador, I’ve taken part in radio interviews, presentations and featured in magazines & newspapers to raise awareness of Hate Crime.”
Jada Glover, HCA at APCOA
“I saw at first hand the barriers to reporting that my clients were experiencing. I knew they wanted support and I wanted to help them, but I knew I didn’t have all the tools to do this. The HIRC/Hate Crime Ambassador training gave me the confidence to identify hate crimes/incidents and, importantly for them, the knowledge of how to take a report and offer my clients the help they needed.”
Scarlett McCarthy, HCA at Healthwatch
How to get involved
We are looking for organisations and individuals who want to make a difference in their community. They will:
- Undertake accredited Essex Police training,
- Work within the guidelines of the HIRC Protocol,
- Support the local HIRC network and engage in promoting hate crime awareness and reporting.
For more information on how you or your organisation can become a Hate Crime Ambassador or HIRC please contact