Hate crime

What is hate crime?

Hate crime is any offence committed against a person or property that is motivated by the offender's hatred of people who are seen as being different. You can be a victim of hate crime because of your disability, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Hate crime incidents include name calling, verbal abuse, bullying, harassment, spitting, physical attacks, damage to property, graffiti, and written notes, emails and text messages.

How can I report it?

Report it to Kent Police.

• Call 101 to report a crime. Call 999 in an emergency.
• If you are deaf or speech impaired, text the word 'police' and your message to 60066. Read more about using the text service.
• Visit your local police station
• Contact your neighbourhood officer to discuss any non-urgent concerns. 

When you call Kent Police, ask for the incident reference number. A police officer will come to speak to you as soon as possible (make sure you get the police officer's name and number). An investigating officer will always be assigned to you and you will be advised who that person is.

If you're not sure about contacting the police, you might prefer to:

• Call 0800 138 1624 - this service is run by trained, non-police staff and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Contact your local Community Warden
• Visit the True Vision online reporting website.

To find out more, visit the hate crime pages on the Kent Police website.