Hate Crime
Wandle is committed to developing and supporting multi-cultural communities. We will not tolerate any kind of abuse or violence. We will act against hate crime and those who carry it out.
Hate crime is a criminal offence.
A hate crime is when someone deliberately interferes with the peace, comfort or safety of someone simply because of their race, colour, religion, sex, sexual preference, disability, ill health or age. It includes graffiti, damage to the property, abuse, threats and physical attacks.
Action against hate crime
We take any incident of hate crime seriously and investigate all reports. If we find evidence that a hate crime has been committed we will refer the matter to the police.
In addition, we will:
- support and help victims of hate crime, by referring them to specialist agencies, installing extra security measures and taking out emergency injunctions to protect witnesses.
- photograph offensive graffiti for evidence and remove it within 24 hours.
- deal with repairs resulting from hate crime as an emergency.
- try to put things right and take legal action through injunctions or criminal prosecution.
- take action for a breach of tenancy conditions if the trouble-maker is a Wandle resident and apply for eviction in the most serious cases.
- take action for breach of the tenancy agreement against any tenant who harasses others.
If you, or any member of your household, are being harassed, please contact your housing officer.
It will help if you note down what happened, a description of those responsible, the date and time, and the names of witnesses. If the police contact you, make a note of the police officer's contact details. We will treat any information you give us in the strictest confidence.
Request for housing
We will be sympathetic to all requests for rehousing that result from hate crime, but will need evidence from the police or another agency that members of your household are at serious risk if you remain where you are. We will also seek to deal with the trouble-makers, rather than let them do it again.
