Information on Loughborough

North Area has new Hate Crime Officer

Posted on 06/11/2008

A new officer has taken up the role of Hate Crime Officer (HCO) across the North Area.

PC 1948 Chris Hayton took over the role in October 2008.  He has been a police officer for five and a half years and worked on the Hastings Ward in Loughborough for eighteen months.  The role covers the whole of the North Area which includes Loughborough, North West Leicestershire, Charnwood, Melton and Rutland.

PC 2054 Tam Bains, who has been doing the job since June, has returned to the Hastings Ward a beat he has worked on previously.  He and PC Hayton will be working closely together as the area has a high ethnic minority population.

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 or gender identity
  • sexual orientation
  • disability

PC Hayton said; "I've dealt with a number of hate crime incidents in my previous role as a Beat Officer for the Hastings Ward, which has a large multi-cultural population, so I am really looking forward to the challenge of a new role dedicated to helping people who are discriminated against because of their race, colour, gender or disability.

"Many incidents of hate crime go unreported because people think their complaint won't be taken seriously but the existence of the specialised role of Hate Crime Officer shows that the North Area, and indeed the Force, is committed to fighting hate crime and takes complaints of this nature very seriously."

HCOs offer support to people suffering from any form of racial, religious, or homophobic crime, people who are suffering as a result of a disability, or elder abuse, and those who may be victimised such as asylum seekers, refugees, homeless people and travellers.

They work in partnership with other agencies providing advice on all aspects of hate crime and work closely with members of local community groups, maintaining an important link with minority groups and helping to promote reporting of all hate crime.

PC Hayton continued; "I want to do as much as I can to raise the profile of the job to encourage people to come forward and report incidents so that we can take action against individuals who commit this type of crime and bring about a successful conclusion to the crimes we do investigate.

Anyone who wants to report a hate crime should use 999 in an emergency or dial Leicester (0116) 222 2222.  Their call will then be referred to the appropriate Area Hate Crime Officer.

Issued on 06/11/08 at 15:30