Manchester has highest number of hate crimes

Greater Manchester has the highest ratio of hate crimes in England and Wales, according to Home Office data.

Just over 17 out of every 1,000 crimes are reported as hate crimes in the city, about six more than the national average.

In the data, collected in 2011-12, the force dealt with a total of 3,547 hate crimes, of which 2,974 were racially motivated, 303 motivated by sexual orientation, 180 by religion, 73 by an individual’s disability and 17 were trans-related.

Hate crimes involve any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a personal characteristic.

Cat Gray, the University of Manchester Students’ Union’s Wellbeing Officer, said: “The Union is a reporting centre for hate crime, so if any student experience or witness a hate crime and want to come and report that they can do so in the Union in the Advice Centre.

“The Union continues to fight against all forms of oppression and would support students in reporting hate crime.”

Despite the high figures, the figures represent a drop in reported cases. The same data collected for 2009-10 found that 5,348 hate crimes had been reported in the Greater Manchester area.

Garry Shewan, Assistant Chief Constable for Greater Manchester Police (GMP), told the Mancunian Matters new site: “We recognise that all forms of hate crime are under-reported, and tackling this remains one of GMP’s main priorities.

“We are working hard to raise awareness of what hate crime is, how to report it and the support available to victims.”