Background

This local action Group is one of three in the County, covering two Community Safety Partnership areas, namely Cotswolds and Stroud. The other two being

· Cheltenham & Tewkesbury Hate Crime & Incident Action Group
· Forest & Gloucester Hate Crime & Incident Action Group

Taking our lead from the County Strategic Group, we would reiterate the words used in their Statement of Purpose, namely the murder of Stephen Lawrence and subsequent Inquiry report has led to a philosophical change within most public services from ‘treating everyone the same’ to a necessary needs based approach.

To be truly effective and provide an appropriate level of service to the victims of hate crimes and incidents, it is vital to have a clear understanding of what constitutes hate incidents, hate crimes and indeed specific types of prejudice.

In March 2005, ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) provided a comprehensive guidance manual to Police Forces in order to revisit policy and tactical options for dealing with hate crime. Essentially, the guidance sought to secure benefits for the victims through a common standard of response, action and quality of service, whilst also providing clarity for partner agencies and community representatives whose involvement, support and commitment is crucial to success.

Purpose

The Cotswolds and Stroud Hate Crime and Incident Action Group has been formed with local partners to provide an operational response to Hate Crime incidents within the Cotswolds and Stroud areas.

The Action Group will ensure that partner agencies accept their responsibilities under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and likewise, harness their commitment to the collation and sharing of information that will assist in achieving positive results.