New hate crime awareness campaign launched in Teesside by PCC
Matt Storey says it's part of his plans to spread a zero-tolerance message
A major campaign to increase awareness and understanding of hate crime in Teesside has been launched by Cleveland's Police and Crime Commissioner.
Matt Storey's announced the 'Hate Ends Here' campaign on behalf of the Cleveland Strategic Hate Crime Partnership, as part of his ambitious plans to spread a zero-tolerance message across the communities of Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees and Redcar and Cleveland.
Hate crime is defined as any crime in which the suspect is motivated by hostility towards a person’s perceived disability, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or gender identity.
It can include verbal abuse, intimidation, threats, harassment, bullying (both online and offline) and damage to property.
Hate Ends Here raises awareness among the public and includes three key messages aimed towards victims, perpetrators and witnesses to be able to:
• Recognise – help people to understand what hate crime is.
• Report – highlight the various ways people can report hate crime.
• Recover – signpost victims and witnesses to appropriate support services.
The launch comes after figures show a steady rise on reported hate crime in Cleveland year-on-year from 359 in 2012/13 to 1,562 incidents in 2022/23.
There was a further 11% increase during 2024/25 with 1,747 reported hate crimes in the area. It was noted that the figures had been influenced by the period of violent disorder in summer 2024.
The biggest motivation for reported hate crime in Cleveland according to 2023/24 data is race at 1,130 incidents. This is followed by 207 incidents directed at victims’ sexual orientation, 164 at disability and 38 based on transgender identity.
Matt Storey says tackling hate crime is a key priority in his Police and Crime Plan and he is currently working on a new multi-agency Cleveland Hate Crime Strategy which is expected to launch later this year.
He said: “Committing a hate crime in any form is appalling and goes against the shared values held by the Hate Crime Partnership. It can have a traumatic, life changing impact on victims while perpetrators often escalate in the seriousness of their offending.
“Hate Ends Here is a powerful campaign that not only reminds victims to not suffer in silence but also serves to teach the public about the importance of tolerance, acceptance and understanding.
“I am proud of the amazing victim support services and restorative justice teams we have in Cleveland that provide support to people as they recover from their experiences of hate. The work they do is essential to secure justice for those who are exposed to hate in whatever form that may take.”
If you or anyone you know has been impacted by hate crime you can receive free and confidential support, regardless of whether you have reported the incident, by contacting VCAS on 0303 040 1099, [email protected] or vcas.
New charter sets out police commitment to victims of hate crime
Cleveland Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland co-produced a charter for victims of hate crime, using feedback from the Cleveland Strategic Hate Crime Partnership which he has chaired since 2024.
They say ensuring people can live and work without fear of being a target of hate crime is the cornerstone of the charter.
The charter is based on three principles:
• What is considered a hate crime
• How to report incidents of hate crime
• What to expect once a report of a hate crime has been made
It sets out the force’s promise to ensure all reports of hate crime will be taken seriously and to improve confidence in the service delivered by the police.
To help inform the charter, discussions were undertaken with local diverse groups who represent the views and support individuals with protected characteristics including, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability.
It is hoped that by providing a guide on what to expect after reporting hate crime, victims may feel more comfortable reporting crimes, whilst providing knowledge of the investigation and criminal process and information around support available, will ease any reticence to come forward and improve confidence in the police to investigate hate crime.
Cleveland Police Supt Emily Harrison, the force’s lead on hate crime, added: “Nobody should be subjected to threatening or abusive behaviour because of their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or disability. Sadly, many people in our communities are targeted simply because of who they are or what believe in. Any form of hate crime is completely unacceptable and simply will not be tolerated.
“Hate crime in Cleveland did show an unprecedented rise during late summer last year, over the period of disorder in Middlesbrough and Hartlepool in August 2024, and there is a clear spike in our figures at that time.
“Outside of those reports linked directly to the disorder, reports of hate crime remain consistent with the numbers we received before, with no real increase in racially motivated offences and crimes. In fact, our twelve-month data shows a reduction of 13.2% for all hate crime and a 24.9% reduction for victim-based hate crime.
“Whilst we welcome any reduction, it’s more important for us that victims of hate feel that they can come forward and report what is happening to them. Over many years, we have built strong links with our diverse communities in Cleveland by engaging well and listening to concerns. We need to keep building on this to ensure that anyone who has experienced hate feels that they can report this to us and can trust us to deal with these crimes robustly.
“I hope that the pledge set out in the charter, and knowledge of the processes involved in the investigation of hate crime, can offer some reassurance to victims. We understand the impact that crime motivated by hate can have on people and that this can be a lonely and frightening time, so I’d like to reassure anyone who has been subject to hate crime that we will support them every step of the way.”
Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland Matt Storey, who has chaired the Cleveland Strategic Hate Crime Partnership since 2024, said: “Engaging with victims of hate crime in our communities has been incredibly important. It is vital that we aren’t just broadcasting, but allowing people to have their voice and their concerns heard.
“I know that communities want that reassurance so that when they report a hate crime incident to the police it will be taken seriously, so I am pleased to have developed this charter that clearly sets out Cleveland Police’s commitments on how they will achieve this.”