Dimensions responds to Hate Crime Action Plan refresh

The Home Office and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government have today published a refresh of the Hate Crime Action Plan, two years on from its implementation in 2016. Alongside this, new Home Office figures show an 40% increase in the number of disability hate crimes recorded by police in the past year, with a total of 7,226 recorded by police across England and Wales in 2017/18.

We are encouraged that the Action Plan commits government to working with a range of stakeholders to deepen understanding of hate crime and to considering the recent recommendations made by the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities. Dimensions #ImWithSam campaign continues to work closely with the Foundation to tackle learning disability and autism hate crime.

A key area for change is data gathering on disability hate crime. Since 2016, Dimensions has been calling for disaggregated statistics for disability hate crime. Whilst we know there has been a year on year in increase in recorded disablist crimes for several years, we still do not know how many of those victims have a learning disability or autism. More recently, the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities reinforced this call in their report on hate crime, A Life Without Fear?

Dimensions research with the Office for National Statistics showed that people with learning disabilities and autism were four times more likely to be a victim of a disability hate crime than those with other disabilities impacting stamina, mobility or sight.

The government also commits to supporting the implementation of Facing All the Facts training for police call handlers. As partners in the development of this comprehensive training, Dimensions welcomes the commitment to supporting knowledge and skills for those who are the first contact for victims of hate crime. With just 48% of victims of learning disability and autism hate reporting to police, training will help to ensure more people can come forward and get a good response.

Our #ImWithSam police training is supporting officers to recognise and respond to victims of learning disability and autism hate crime. We want this level of knowledge and skill embedded in all police forces so that every victim gets the support they need when they report a crime. We will continue to share our learning with government and other agencies to ensure we send a zero tolerance message on learning disability and autism hate crime.