Students from secondary schools across Hertfordshire marked Hate Crime Awareness Week (HCAW) at a special educational event yesterday, Tuesday 15 October.

Teenagers threw themselves into a workshop laid on by Hertfordshire’s Hate Crime Partnership Board at the Fielder Centre in Hatfield, learning all about hate crime and why it’s important to report it.

National Hate Crime Awareness Week, which runs from 12 to 19 October, is a week of action to raise awareness of hate crime and to encourage councils, key partners, including schools and communities to tackle hate crime.

Opening the event, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, Jonathan Ash-Edwards, said: “Hate crime is a pernicious, awful and insidious offence because it targets individuals for who they are. Hertfordshire is a great place to live, work and study but the truth is, that hate crimes occur even in a safe county like Hertfordshire, and we’ve got a lot of work to do to tackle this.

“We have a strong partnership approach to hate crime in Hertfordshire, working across agencies to prevent hate crime, to raise awareness of how to report it and to provide support to victims. Under-reporting is a significant issue and I’d like to encourage people to report hate crime.”

The day, supported by Hertfordshire Constabulary, the Crown Prosecution Service, Hertfordshire County Council and the University of Hertfordshire’s law department, explored the different types of hate crime.

Young people created a social media video to promote reporting and watched a film of a hate crime case study from first report through to trial, playing the role of the judge and giving their verdict.

Chief Inspector Tony Fontenelle, the constabulary’s lead for hate crime, said: “Hate crimes are not just attacks on individuals; they are attacks on the very fabric of our society. They target people for who they are, seeking to divide us.  Today gave us an opportunity to unite, learn, and engage in meaningful action to combat hate.”

He called on the audience to play their part: “Speak up. Don’t be a bystander. If you see something, say something. Hate crimes often go unreported, and speaking out can make a world of difference.

“Listen, take the time to hear the stories of those affected. It can be powerful to simply listen and learn from the experiences of others, opening our hearts and minds to their struggles.

“Share information, use your platforms, whether on social media or in your community, to spread awareness about hate crimes. The more people we educate, the stronger we become in our fight against hate.”

Mutahir Ahmed, District Crown Prosecutor for Thames and Chiltern, said: “Hate crime can have particular devastating consequences for victims and witnesses, as it targets an intrinsic part of who a person is.

“A crime can be prosecuted as a hate crime if, at the time the offence was committed, the offender demonstrates or is motivated by hostility based on race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity. Such crimes can reverberate deep into the heart of communities, causing fear and undermining the sense of safety, security and belonging that many people have. The CPS take all hate crime matters extremely seriously. Tackling hate crime is a priority for the CPS and we are determined to bring culprits to justice.”

In Hertfordshire, there has been a rise in the number of hate crimes reported to police in 2024. This year saw an increase of almost 50 per cent in the number of hate crimes reported in the three months from August to September in 2024 in comparison to 2023, rising from 355 in quarter three in 2023 to 539 during the same period in 2024.

All week, our Hate Crime Officers and Neighbourhood Policing Teams will be out and about raising awareness of hate crime and how to report it, including sessions for NHS staff at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage and Watford General Hospital.

Hate crimes include assaults, threats or acts of vandalism, or any other crime committed against someone because of their:

• Disability
• Race or ethnicity
• Religion or belief
• Transgender identity
• Sexual orientation

Hate crime is not tolerated in Hertfordshire. Hertfordshire Constabulary has specialist hate crime officers to tackle and challenge these incidents, educate people and support those who have been affected. Don’t ignore it, report it.

You can report hate crime online: https://www.herts.police.uk/ro/report/

Speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat.

Call the non-emergency number 101. In an emergency dial 999.

For more information about where to report hate crime.

Find out how to report hate crime.