CARDIFF, Wales: A new, joint initiative is being launched to increase the reporting of hate crime across Wales.

This innovative piece of work has been carried out in partnership with the police services of Wales, Safer Wales (a registered charity) and the Welsh Assembly Government and will enable victims, witnesses or other third parties to report hate incidents from the July 1 through an online service based at
www.saferwales.com but also through completion of a Hate Crime reporting form, available across Wales and formally launched at The National Assembly building at Cardiff Bay on July 14.

The initiative tackles the issue of community confidence in reporting Hate Crime to UK police services and other partner agencies, as reflected in a number of hate crime surveys and research studies. The initiative provides people with the opportunity to report Hate Crime to an independent third party.

In their role, Safer Wales will be able to either pass on full details of incidents that have taken place (with the consent of the reporting person) for action to the police and other support agencies, or at least pass on basic information to the relevant police service to enable them to develop an intelligence led policing response.

Hate Crime has a major impact on our society. Not only does it affect the victim but also their families and friends and anyone who has witnessed the incident. Many members of minority groups fall victim of these incidents which can range from verbal abuse to systematic abuse and possibly murder, simply because they are different to other people. Unfortunately hate crime continues to go unreported here in Wales and across the UK and we believe this initiative will go some way to tackle this issue.

The organisers hope you will be able to support this initiative through your networks, but also by adding the “REPORT
HATE ~ SAFER WALES” logo and link to Safer Wales on your internal and external websites.

Please contact Mark Williams via email at mw@saferwales.com or telephone 029 2046 1564 for electronic versions of the
logo and link Safer Wales.

(Source: Safer Wales, August 10, 2009)