Staff at Your Choice Barnet’s Flower Lane Autism Service are hoping they can help more service users report their experiences of hate crime, after taking part in an anti-hate crime training session yesterday.
A hate crime is a crime committed against someone because of their disability, gender identity, race, religion or belief or sexual orientation. Hate crimes can include threatening behaviour, assault, robbery, damage to property, inciting others to commit hate crimes, harassment.
Flower Lane Manager Diana Isaacs said the training went through what staff could do if they were out supporting a client when the crime occurred, and what to do if a client reported an occurrence to them after the fact.
She said staff would support clients through the process of reporting the hate crime, and hoped that if more instances were reported then it would make the public more aware of their comments and actions towards vulnerable people.
Flower Lane service users were often called names or received hurtful comments when out in public, she said, and it could make them feel intimidated and uncomfortable.
“We want to become a sort of day centre for service users, for them to talk to our staff and then be supported through the process of reporting these hate crimes to police.”
For more information on hate crime and how to report it, please visit: https://www.barnet.gov.uk/citizen-home/housing-and-community/community-safety/hate-crime.html