The number of non-crime hate incidents recorded by police has surged in half of Britain’s forces despite attempts by the previous Government to crack down on the practice, official data show. The Telegraph has the story.
Officers have been required since 2023 only to log hate incidents that are below the criminal threshold if there is a serious risk of significant harm that could escalate into criminality and not just because someone feels offended.
However, data obtained by the Telegraph through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests show that the incidents recorded by officers have nearly doubled in two forces – Cleveland and Lincolnshire – and increased by between 2% and 66% in half of forces.
The analysis indicates that the 43 forces in England and Wales have recorded more than 133,000 non-crime hate incidents (NCHI) since they were introduced in 2014, an average of 13,000 a year.
That represents some 666,000 hours of police time spent recording, investigating and supervising incidents, based on an estimate by the think tank Policy Exchange that each incident takes up to five hours. It is equivalent to employing more than 2,000 officers for a week.
The disclosures have sparked fresh demands for a fundamental reform of the system to enable officers to concentrate on fighting crimes such as burglary, theft and antisocial behaviour.
Matthew Scott, Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent, has become the second policing chief to call for NCHIs to be scrapped.
“I am concerned when we are spending police time on something that is called ‘non-crime’. The guidance has created a bureaucracy that is causing the wrong priorities to be focused on,” he said.
“We need to do a full and proper independent review and stop time being wasted.”
Chris Philp, Shadow Home Secretary said: “This level of non-crime incident recording is a catastrophic waste of police time. The police should focus on catching real criminals and on serious matters that are immediate precursors to an actual crime being committed.
“Instead time has been wasted on policing playground spats between children, harassing journalists who are debating the trans issue online and in one case even someone who refused to shake someone else’s hand. This madness must end.
“Police need to get back to common sense policing – protecting the public from crime and catching criminals. Freedom and free speech must be protected.”
Worth reading in full.
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If you complain about the police recording non-crime hate incidents, could that also be recorded as a non-crime hate incident?
That becomes a “non-crime non hate but you’re still a criminal incident”
This here is the sort of thing police should be better spending their time on. Strange men, thought to be from a nearby hotel used by asylum seekers, hanging around outside schools, taking videos of the kids. If this is the same school, I’ve seen a letter that got sent to all parents about these men, warning them to be vigilant and the head teacher said they’d informed the police. It was reported that parents are taking their kids out of school.
Listen to this lady’s conversation with somebody working at the hotel;
”OUTRAGEOUS: Parents in Deanshanger, a small village in West Northamptonshire with a population of just over 4,000, are reporting male ‘asylum seekers’ housed in a local hotel loitering outside schools and taking photographs of children.
Hotel staff have confirmed it’s only asylum seekers staying there—no families, no women, just men. Police have been contacted, but why is this even happening?
This quiet village, historically known for its iron foundry and rich heritage, is now grappling with the fallout of the government’s reckless open-door policies. Parents are worried, communities are on edge, and safeguarding is nowhere to be seen.
When will the safety of British families and the integrity of small villages like Deanshanger come first? Enough is enough!”
https://x.com/darrengrimes_/status/1871203002486243425
Police statement about the matter;
https://x.com/penelopeessence/status/1871252470753816812
Nothing to worry about …. move along.
Until there IS something the Authorities should have been worried about, but dismissed for “social cohesion” reasons.
It’s best to judge the aim of a system by what it ends up achieving … regardless of the original stated aims. In the case of bureaucracies, such as the police, the aim is to get paid for doing nothing; at least nothing dangerous.
Too much like hard work and intelligence to go catching real criminals. Pestering an otherwise decent citizen for perceived hurty words is so much easier.
Police need to get back to common sense policing – protecting the public from crime and catching criminals. Freedom and free speech must be protected.”
Just like the previous “so called” Conservative government did over their 14 year governance.
Yeah right.
‘common sense policing’? No, all you will get is Common Purpose!
And so Chris Philp – what did YOUR party do about this over the last 14 years? Nothing! Which is why your party will soon have less members than Reform and has just as much to fear from the May local elections as the Student Union government.