Kent Police message to Headteachers

As you may have noted from the media, following the EU referendum nationally there has been a rise in hate crimes reported to the on-line reporting website. This is similar to the trends following other major national or international events and we are monitoring the situation closely.

All forms of hate crime are unacceptable in any circumstances and we will respond robustly to any incidents. Hatred not only has the potential to cause serious physical and emotional harm, it can damage communities and cause division.

A hate crime is defined as: any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a person's race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or perceived race, religion, sexual orientation or disability or motivated by a hostility or prejudice against a person who is transgender, or perceived to be transgender.

Kent Police have a team of Community Liaison Officers whose role it is to develop, maintain and improve positive relationships between Kent Police and the diverse community. The team engage with a significant amount of groups and individuals from diverse communities across all of Kent. They are key to identifying and managing community tensions and providing reassurance where appropriate. Details of your Community Liaison Officer can be found at the following web address:

Community Liaison Officer Details

We continue to work closely with our partner agencies and communities in Kent to offer advice and reassurance. Communities should always feel comfortable asking questions of any officers if they have concerns.

We strongly encourage anyone who thinks they may have experienced or witnessed hate crime to report it by calling the Police on 101, contacting Crimestoppers or using our True Vision website where you can also find advice about staying safe. Deaf or speech-impaired people can text message the word ‘police’ then leave a space and write their message and send it to 60066. Language is not a barrier, as we have translators where required.

Always dial 999 if there is an emergency, crime is in progress or life is in danger.

Kent Police also have a data sharing agreement with third party reporting centres such as Tell MAMA (Measuring anti-Muslim Attacks) and Community Security Trust

Remember, united communities defeat hatred so I urge you to report any concerns or local tensions to us.

Kulbir Pasricha
Community Liaison
Strategic Partnership Command

Mobile: 07772 221185
Telephone: 01622 652440
Internal: 19-2440
Email: kulbir.pasricha@kent.pnn.police.uk

Kent Police and our Partners working with the diverse communities for a safer Kent

Visit the Kent Police Website
Follow us on Twitter
Find us on Facebook