Race Crime
We are currently revising this page to provide further information on the subject.
Race Crime
The Safer Kingston Partnership works in conjunction with a number of partners to support victims of racial harassment and discrimination and in promoting racial equality in the Royal Borough of Kingston. These partners include: Kingston Police Community Safety Unit, Safer Neighbourhood Teams, the Victim Support, a multi-lingual helpline, the Kingston Race and Equalities Council (KREC) and the Royal Borough of Kingston. The partners work together to deliver a vision which will make a positive difference to people's lives in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames.
Whilst the Borough of Kingston is one of the safest boroughs of London, it must be remembered that race crimes still take place in Kingston. Recent racist crime figures from the Metropolitan Police website are detailed below:
| Crime Type | 12 months to January 2009 | 12 months to January 2008 |
|---|---|---|
| Racist Crime | 113 incidents | 176 incidents |
Repeat Victimisation - A strong theme of the work of the Partnership is identifying, supporting and preventing repeat victimisation. How do we identify repeat victims? These are identified through community information, the Safer Neighbourhood Teams and information sharing between partner agencies. Support for these victims is achieved through thorough investigation by the Community Safety Unit and proactive information gathering. Risk assessment and case management ensure support and reassurance is provided by the appropriate agency or agencies working in partnership. Alternative solutions are sought when prosecution is not possible.
Housing - Support for and identification of victims of Race Crime also takes place through the Council's Registered Social Landlord system. This involves working with tenants to promote understanding of tenancy obligations and modifying tenancy agreements to include specific clauses relating to harassment and anti-social behaviour. The Housing Service also has an in-house graffiti response team which has a target to photograph, report and remove racist graffiti within 24 hours of it being reported. The Council's Housing Racial Harassment Panel ensures that information is shared with regard to victims (with their consent) to allow the appropriate support and investigation to resolve the issues. This tracks cases reported through to closure. Anonymous statistics from this Panel are reported to the Racist Incident Forum allowing hotspots to be identified and analysis of ethnicity trends regarding victims and perpetrators.
Schools - All racist incidents are logged by schools. Information from schools is collated, any issues identified are shared with Schools Inspector who where appropriate can direct resources to support a particular school. and record racist incidents. Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL), self esteem, respect and diversity programmes have been implemented in all primary schools and secondary schools from May 2007. An Anti-bullying programme has been co-funded with the police and distributed to all schools. In Kingston the Healthy Schools programme's 'emotional well being' strand addresses bullying and diversity. Kingston Police Schools liaison officers deliver programmes to all pupils at key stage 2 and then again at key stage 3 which include the topics of bullying, race and hate crime and prevention of repeat victimisation.
Training - In order to be confident that our staff can identify and respond positively to racist incidents, the Safer Kingston Partnership has invested in the appropriate training of staff. Examples of this training include: Diversity, Equal Opportunities, Race Relations Amendment Act, Disability awareness and Racial Harassment training.
Kingston's Racist Incidents One Stop Shop
The aim of the Racist Incidents One Stop Shop is to provide initial advice, information and guidance to those experiencing racial harassment and discrimination in the borough of Kingston. This advice may be verbal, by way of a leaflet or by signposting to another relevant agency. The terms of reference for the Racist Incidents One Stop Shop are:
- To provide advice and support to victims of racial harassment or discrimination;
- To offer to refer, as appropriate, to other agencies;
- To promote awareness of racist incidents in the community;
- To maintain confidentiality between relevant agencies;
- To ensure that all service users are treated equally and fairly according to their needs; and
- To ensure that advice, information and guidance is delivered in a culturally sensitive manner.
Agencies involved in the Racist Incidents One Stop Shop are:
- Kingston Racial Equality Council
- RBK Housing
- Victim Support Service Kingston
- Kingston Citizen’s Advice Bureau
- Community Safety Unit
- Refugee Action Kingston
- RBK interpreting service
About KREC - Kingston Race and Equalities Council is a multi-racial, multi-cultural organisation co-ordinating the focus on racial harassment and racial justice. KREC's aims:
- To work towards the elimination of racial discrimination and associated inequalities;
- To promote equality of opportunity and good relations between persons of different racial groups.
- To address the human rights and needs of all communities.
KREC's address is:
Kingston Race and Equalities Council
Neville House
55 Eden Street
Kingston upon Thames
Surrey
KT1 1BW
Phone: 0208 547 2332
Fax: 0208 547 1510
E-mail:enquiries@kingstonrec.org
For further information and support in relation to Race Crime, see the link to the KREC website below
How to Report a Race Crime
- If you or another are in immediate danger call 999 and speak to your local police
- Call KREC on the above telephone number.
- Call the Safer Kingston Partnership on 0208 547 5039
Related External Links:
- KREC website (www.kingstonrec.org) - Kingston Race & Equality Commission