CIVIC chiefs have thrown their support behind a Daily Echo-backed campaign to tackle hate crime in Southampton.

The city council is one of the key partners in the Love Don’t Hate initiative, launched following the publication of new figures which show the problem is worse in Southampton than almost anywhere else.

Love Don’t Hate is headed by the SPECTRUM Centre for Independent Living, which represents disabled people.

According to SPECTRUM almost 600 hate crimes were reported in 2016-17 - a 30 per cent increase on the previous 12 months.

Groups involved in the project aim to raise awareness of the issue and improve the hate crime reporting process.

 

Cllr Dave Shields, cabinet member for community wellbeing, said: “Southampton City Council is one of the key partners on the campaign against hate crime.

“Working with all of the other organisations involved in driving this initiative forward, we’re proud to be ensuring that we’re getting this important message out.

“Southampton is renowned as a multi-cultural and diverse city and we’re reinforcing the fact that hate crime is simply not acceptable.

“It’s good to see the Daily Echo helping to support this campaign and highlight the issue in the city.

“We have given high priority to work on hate crime through the Safe City Partnership, Southampton Connect and the local Hate Crime Reporting Network.

“I have also contributed these past 12 months to the work of the Hampshire Police & Crime Panel and the Police & Crime Commissioner in addressing hate crime.”

 

Love Don’t Hate was launched last Saturday to coincide with the start of National Hate Crime Awareness Week. According to campaign leaders, Southampton is the second worst city in the UK for hate crime. Only Liverpool has a worse record.

Yesterday the government revealed a surge in reports of hate crimes committed against people across England and Wales because of their religious beliefs.

According to Home Office data they rose by 40% - from 5,949 last year to 8,336 this year. Most of the religious hate crime - 52% of all offences - was aimed at Muslims.

The total number of hate incidents between April 2017 and March 2018 reached a record 94,098, a rise of 17% over the previous 12 months.

Just over three-quarters were classified as “race hate”.