Library’s promotion of “hate crime”

[Chocolatemice]

West Midlands, where it is apparently impossible to keep police stations open. Went to Blackheath library and came across a poster saying it is a designated point for reporting hate crimes.

Am I the only woman who would now find that library designated a dangerous place to be?

What is so special about “hate crimes” that they have specially designated places to report them, and yet people have nowhere to go about real crimes?

@WotchaTalkinBoutWillis sex is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act, no less than race, disability, age, sexual orientation or gender reassignment. If abuse against all the rest (other than age, I seem to remember - also an odd omission) count as hate crimes, why is abuse meted out to women because they are women, not one to your mind? I don't really understand the reasoning for that. Unless you just mean it's not presently recorded as one, in most areas?

Misogyny is a recognised gap, unless you live in Notts, where the police ran an extremely successful pilot. Honestly, I think we are so used to misogyny aimed at women that we don't see it as hateful, because it's normalised. In Nottingham, thanks to the success and popularity of the pilot, it's recognised as such. But nowhere else - yet.

wellbehaved hate crimes/incidents are not based on the Equality Act. Why women were excluded? Possible because recording hate incidents against women would be overwhelming.

but should it go as far as nothing being able to be added without the involvement of a judge?

Yes I think so. I'm willing to be persuaded otherwise, but I believe in our society where we are innocent until proven guilty by a judge and/or jury of our peers - and we have framed the justice system to enable that.

Sometimes that means unpalatable people and views get airtime. And when we can try a person for an actual crime with proof and evidence, then we should. But to start making up thoughtcrime based on spite and personal agendas is not acceptable.

The old saying rings true for me - we have the worst justice system in the world, apart from all the rest

It is, however, a crime under the Equality Act 2010 (harassment).

It's not a crime. The EA is civil law pertaining to employers, service providers etc. Some random in the street isn't subject to it.

It might come under the Public Order Act I think, depending on the circumstances. But basically, good luck with that.

Agree with many of the other posters here that this is problematic. And Harry Miller's case demonstrates why. In his Trigger interview he said this
The police have been ideologically captured.. they don't understand the difference between policy and law, they don't have a legal basis to work from. The upper echelons of the police are signing pledges to Stonewall

Harry's 'hate incident' was recorded under the category crime non crime Yep. Apparently it's a thing. Meanwhile burglaries aren't investigated. This is a threat to freedom of speech, it has no legal basis and it is diverting police resources from serious crimes.

Yes I think so. I'm willing to be persuaded otherwise, but I believe in our society where we are innocent until proven guilty by a judge and/or jury of our peers - and we have framed the justice system to enable that.

I wouldn't presume to persuade you otherwise because I'm not convinced either way myself, I would point out that warnings and cautions (which may not involve a judge) of all types are recorded and may be made available during an enhanced DBS.

You do not need to accept a caution - you can always go to court instead. It may often be better is you do go to court (though that comes wit the risk of greater punishment)

I used to work for a neighbouring local authority to this one. I know libraries are seen as a safe place for a lot of Asian teenagers in that area and there has been outreach work done via libraries to them - could somehow be related to that?

The library already seemed odd. This week there has been security locking and unlocking the doors for entry. I should hate to think I accidentally say the wrong thing and find myself locked out.