NEWS FROM THE GREEN GROUP OF COUNCILLORS ON BRIGHTON AND HOVE CITY COUNCIL

18 January 2005 Immediate Release

BRIGHTON GREEN COUNCILLORS CALL FOR CITY HATE CRIME RESEARCH

Research may be undertaken to explain apparent rises in reported hate crime in Brighton and Hove, including anti-gay attacks, after a request from Green Party councillors in the city.

With 'headline' figures for racist and homophobic hate crime on the rise, Greens say the authorities need to investigate the underlying factors behind the trends, including the extent to which they reflect a genuine rise in hate crime and how much is accounted for by improved reporting systems.

At January's Brighton and Hove Community Safety Forum, Councillor Simon Williams, Green Community Safety Spokesperson, asked whether the City Council could undertake research into "community confidence" on safety issues within the city's large lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) and black and minority ethnic (BME) communities.

He said: "We've seen a steep rise in reported gay hate crime over the last year and a rises in the number of reported racist incidents in the city - it's vital to know the real story behind these figures. We need to know the extent to which these crimes are becoming more numerous in real terms or are more the result of improved reporting systems.

"We're pleased that the City Council has acknowledged the need for this work after we raised it. We hope they liaise with the relevant community forums and representative groups to access the best possible information."

Simon Williams, who is gay, added: "We want to see some detailed analysis into the headline figures but also a clearer picture of the level of confidence within these communities. At present, we're relying on anecdotal information - hich suggests there's a problem - particularly within the LGBT community in terms of safety in 'hotspot' areas of the city.

"The city's police service has implemented a new reporting system which has strengthened confidence in the reporting process - but anecdotally people's feeling of safety has not necessarily improved. We need to discover the real picture."

Brighton and Hove Police launched the 'True Vision' reporting system last year to help victims of homophobic crime to come forward. The system includes the facility for victims to report incidents anonymously.