A NEW phone app to make it easier to report hate crimes in the Bradford District will soon be launched as part of a new strategy to tackle the issue.

It comes after a report found that some people in Bradford feel being subjected to hate crime is a "part of normal life."

As part of Hate Crime Awareness Week, people from across the District are today coming together to raise awareness and start conversations about hate crime, how the issues can be tackled and how we can move forward and become a more tolerant district.

Bradford Council says the Hate Crime Strategy 2021-24 is "an opportunity to continue to address hate crime across the district and challenge prejudices and behaviours that lead to hate crimes, in turn building a better, stronger, and safer community."

The strategy has been developed by the Council with input from groups such as Bradford Hate Crime Alliance, West Yorkshire Police and Victim Support.

The scheme is also being backed by Bradford City Football Club, who will use their next home game to highlight the issue.

One of the most significant new measures that will come out of the strategy is an app designed to make reporting hate crimes easier and give people more confidence in reporting the crimes.

The app has been designed to be simple to use, giving people the confidence to report crimes as they see them or if they are the victim.

Earlier this year the Council published the results of a scrutiny review into hate crime in Bradford.

It found that between 2016 and 2020 hate crime targeting people because of a disability had tripled, and hate crime relating to a person's sexual orientation had doubled.

It suggested hate crime incidents are underreported, particularly among communities such as Roma and South Asian women.

One particularly shocking part of the report said: "In conversations with Disabled groups, Councillors heard that if an individual had experienced Hate Crime, they would just treat this as part of their life."

A survey by the Telegraph & Argus carried out at the time of that report saw 52 per cent of readers claim they would not be confident in reporting a hate crime.

'Concerning' review finds some victims feel hate crime is 'part of normal life'

The definition of hate crime used by the Crown Prosecution Service is any criminal offence perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on person’s race, perceived race, religion, perceived religion, sexual orientation, perceived sexual orientation, transgender, perceived transgender, disability or perceived disability.

Throughout Hate Crime Awareness week, events have been organised for both the Bradford African and Eastern European communities. Several of the Districts main organisations working in the hate crime space such as Bradford Council, Bradford Hate Crime Alliance, West Yorkshire Police, Victim Support and Restorative Justice will be there to explain their roles, clarify what a hate crime is, where and how it can be reported, and facilitate a question and answer session.

Bradford City Football Club have also agreed to use their home game versus Bristol Rovers on 16th October to raise awareness of hate crime by displaying information around the stadium and on the large screen. A ‘Root out Racism’ banner will be paraded around the pitch by community representatives, and in advance of this match, video messages from players will be shared on social media to coincide with hate crime awareness week.

The strategy launch event will host speakers from key partner organisations across the West Yorkshire region, and from within the Bradford District including Alison Lowe, Deputy Mayor of West Yorkshire for Policing and Crime.

They will offer insight into the issues, while pledging to help tackle the problem. The organisers hope this will bring about change and a renewed attitude when it comes to removing hate crime in the district. The keynote speaker at this event will be Dr Nasser Kurdy, a Muslim surgeon who was stabbed outside his local mosque in Altrincham in 2017, explaining hate crime from a victims perspective.

Key partner organisations will be present at this event to network and build stronger partnerships, helping to form a joined up approach to dealing with hate crime issues facing the Bradford district.

Bradford Council Leader Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe said: “There is no room in the district for any form of hate and we are committed to tackling hate crime head-on. The new strategy outlines how we can work together as a community to eliminate hate crime from our district. We can all support this new plan for change.

“I am pleased with the schedule of good events taking place in the district throughout Hate Crime Awareness week. This shows that people want to get involved in making these positive changes. We can achieve much more in the district when we are united by shared values, common goals and collective pride.”

Charles Dacres from Bradford Hate Crime Alliance wants this to be an opportunity to start conversations on the community. He said “I hope the announcement of the new strategy will bring hate crime awareness to the forefront of people’s minds. I don’t think people realise that anyone can be a victim of a hate crime. I hope the national hate crime awareness week and events taking place will prompt conversations and remind people there is help and support out there for victims and anyone who witnesses a hate crime.”

Councillor Abdul Jabar, portfolio holder for neighbourhoods and community safety said “I am really pleased we have so much going on in our district for Hate Crime Awareness Week, I know all year round the Bradford Hate Crime Alliance and other key partner organisations are working hard to highlight issues and make sure people know where they can get support but I think having this week in the calendar and launching the new strategy is the perfect way to remind people that there is help out there and no one should feel alone”