Reporting Transgender hate crime
Why report to the police?
The Metropolitan Police will investigate incidents or crime motivated by transphobia, but can only do so if they are reported! The question you may ask is how do I know whether an incident is transphobic or not? Well the following is the official definition agreed by the Association of Chief Police Officers for use by all police forces;
Any incident which is perceived to be homophobic [or transphobic] by the victim or any other person. In effect any incident intended to have an impact on those perceived as lesbians, gay men, bisexuals or transgendered people.
In practical terms what this means is that an incident or crime is transphobic if you the victim or anyone else, for whatever reason, believe it to be so. Any report made to the police is ‘flagged’ as a transphobic incident or crime which allows ongoing research and analysis to identify persistent offenders or crime trends. The police therefore encourage reporting even if it is anonymous, so they can better understand the type of crimes and incidents faced by the community.
How can I report?
If you find yourself in a situation which requires an immediate police response, then dial 999.
If you find yourself in a situation that may not require an emergency response, but you want to contact the local police at the time there is a useful service offered by the community organisation Out Everywhere: www.silenceisnotgolden.org.
If you text the word ‘Police’ to telephone number 60050, you will receive a text by return giving you the details and contact telephone number of the 3 nearest police stations to your location. There is a charge for this service – please refer to the website for more details.
If you want to report a transphobic incident to the police and you don’t require an immediate response, then there are several reporting options that do not require you meeting face to face with the police [although you can still report direct to the police at any police station].
You can also report via the GALOP shoutline. GALOP are an independent LGBT voluntary organisation and charity who provide assisted reporting services to victims and witnesses of transphobic and homophobic incidents and crime. GALOP will take details of your report, and if you wish report it to the police on your behalf. Any information you give to GALOP is confidential and they will only pass on the information you want to the police. You can contact the GALOP Shoutline on 020 7704 2040.
You can also self report using the True Vision scheme. This is a national scheme managed by the police which is currently being used by 36 police forces across the UK including the Metropolitan Police. Look out for the True Vision reporting pack, which includes information and advice and a self reporting form and pre-paid reply envelope. Simply fill in the reporting form (anonymously if you wish) and post back to the police.
You can e-mail Aurora or phone (07733 286954), ask for a 'True Vision pack' and leave your address, and a community (non-police) member will post you a True Vision pack.
Victim Support also offers support and advice to victims of hate crime and will pass information to the police on your behalf. They can be contacted on their Supportline at 0845 30 30 900.
You can also contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers are a charity, but your call will be answered by trained police officers who will take any report or information you have, you do not have to give your name and you could receive a reward for any information you give.
What do the police do next?
Whatever method you use to report a transphobic incident or crime, the information from your report will be responded to. Every London Borough has a police Community Safety Unit [CSU] who are responsible for investigating any incidents of hate crime within their Borough. All reports that require investigation whether received online, via GALOP, True Vision, Crimestoppers or Victim Support will be referred to the relevant CSU and they will contact you in due course. Obviously if you report anonymously then you won’t receive any contact from the police – but rest assured your information will be valuable and put to good use!
Every report anonymous or otherwise is recorded for intelligence purposes and will be used for research and analysis purposes by the Strategic Intelligence Unit within the MPS Racial and Violent Crime Task Force. Analysis allows the police to identify transphobic offenders, crime trends, and community tensions and initiate enforcement or prevention strategies in partnership with local communities. Police research and analysis is more effective the more information they receive, which is why reporting transphobic incidents is so important.