Brighton Hate Crime Agencies are Discriminating against the LGBT Community says Gay Councilor

With growing concern over homophobic attacks in Brighton and Hove, an openly gay city councillor is condemning the city council and partner agencies for placing 'non-violent' crime including street drinking, shoplifting and substance misuse above homophobic violence in their published priorities.

Green Party councillor Simon Williams said that Brighton & Hove City Council has created a "ranking order" of community safety crime with homophobic violence near the bottom of priorities even though the lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual (LGBT) community makes up more than one sixth of the city's population. He says the council is not treating homophobic crime as seriously as the size of the city's LGBT
population merits.

He points out that a key council post to help victims of homophobic violence, the LGBT advocate, has been left vacant for six months, while some parts of the supposed 'gay capital' of England are at risk of becoming "no-go" areas for LGBT people after dark. A recent leaflet produced by the community safety team ranked homophobic crime as ninth out of ten priorities. (see below / attached).

Councillor Williams made the comments after the high profile opening of
the Partnership Community Safety Team Office to bring together under one roof the city's key community safety workers, one of the first of its kind.

He said: "Although I welcome the new service and I'm in no doubt of the hard work and commitment of staff on the ground, I cannot let the council and police off the hook.

"Whatever they say they are simply not treating homophobic crime with the same seriousness as other hate crime or even, most outrageously, non-violent crime such as shoplifting, quality of life issues, street drinking and begging! The anti-crime agencies have created a ranking order which puts the protection of the LGBT community below shoplifting.

This has to change. "Every community has a right to protection and I certainly wouldn't want to suggest that the fight against homophobic crime should take resources away from other hate crime. What is unacceptable, however, is for agencies to fail to prioritise resources away from non-violent and nuisance crime towards those significant communities in need in the city.

He added: "Homophobic violence is major problem and it is being concealed by low reporting. The Council and police claim that the LGBT community has greater trust in their response now than in the past. That is just not true and they are wrong to suggest that's the case. Whatever the latest violent crime figures say, community activists on the street say the figures do not give the true story.* "I know that many gay men for example are scared to walk in certain parts of the city after dark, making city centre areas 'no-go' areas for LGBT people. This is not acceptable in the supposed gay capital of England. I want to see the Council and police move tackling homophobic hate crime on a more equal basis with other hate crime."

"It is the details that worry me and some questions need answering. How can the Council say that it treats homophobic crime as seriously when it has still not replaced the LGBT advocate a key officer to help victims of homophobic violence after six months?

"In promotional literature for the new community safety office homophobic violence is ranked nine out of ten priorities below quality of life, shoplifting and substance misuse. Are they serious? This may be an unfortunate mistake but at the very least it fuels suspicions of a lack of acceptable priorities."

"There's no point in opening an office which caters for a wide range of groups if you are not going to make a valid assessment of where priorities are most needed. People are scared out there and the Council and agencies are sti