#hate incident

'Hate' incidents being probed by police include a child who said a classmate smelled like fish, a woman likening another to a Rottweiler and the 'homophobic name Leonard'

By: Emily Jane Davies

Published: 22 Nov, 2024

Police forces have been blasted for investigating 'hate crimes' that include calling someone a Rottweiler or being called a 'Leonard' over a row about a hedge.

NCHIs are meant to be recorded for incidents 'clearly motivated by intentional hostility' and where there is a genuine risk of significant escalation, government guidance says.

But the police have been accused of wasting 'valuable time' on investigating so-called hate crimes such as an 'aggressively-administered haircut' instead of 'real crime'.

One former Met detective said it the situation is 'ridiculous', adding: 'No wonder there is a crimewave in this country.' 

Cases of reported hate crime include a Lithuanian customer who was unhappy with their haircut claimed it was done deliberately because he spoke Russian and the barber was allegedly 'aggressive and rough' as a result.

In one case, a German woman was likened to a Rottweiler in a parking dispute.

In another police were told someone had been homophobic because they referred to someone as a 'Leonard' in a row over a hedge.

Officers have also recorded incidents against children, such as one who called a fellow primary school pupil a 'retard', and against two schoolgirls who said another student smelled 'like fish'.

In 2021, a man was investigated for racial hatred because he whistled the Bob the Builder tune at his neighbour.

Wiltshire police also investigated an incident where a person said others were mocking the length of their hair. 

According to The Sun, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: 'This nonsense undermines confidence in policing.'

Around 13,000 NCHIs were recorded in the year to June, and may be diverting badly-needed resources from other crimes as the Met faces axing 2,000 officers.

Ex-detective Peter Bleksley told the newspaper: 'The guidelines suggest you should only intervene in cases like this where there is fear of escalation — who ever had a fear of escalation after a bad haircut?!'

The report was made online and later withdrawn, police said.

An NCHI can remain on file for six years and occasionally be disclosed to a prospective employer.

Reform MP Lee Anderson added: 'Our police have lost control of our streets, and now their bosses have lost control of their minds.'

[ Boris Johnson branded the investigation into Ms Pearson 'appalling' and an attack on free speech ]

It comes after a police force investigating a journalist for allegedly inciting racial hatred recorded 1,500 non-crime hate incidents in just two years while failing to answer non-emergency calls 'swiftly enough'.

According to The Times, a freedom of information response revealed that Essex Police logged 702 non-crime hate incidents between June 2023 and June 2024 and 834 in the 12 months before that.

But a separate police watchdog inspection also found that the force 'doesn't promptly resolve non-emergency calls', which could 'contribute to a loss of confidence in the service'.

One of the 'suspects' recorded on the force's hate incident database was a shopkeeper who refused a person entry to his shop because they had a guide dog with them.

Another complaint was logged when a civilian said they felt their bank was being difficult with them due to their 'skin colour and height'.

It comes as Essex Police faces criticism for investigating Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson over a tweet that was posted, and then quickly deleted, last year.

The force has been condemned for its actions by critics including former prime minister Boris Johnson who have questioned whether investigating hundreds of non-crime hate incidents is worthy of officers' time.

[ The journalist says officers have over-reacted to a year-old post she is said to have written on X, formerly Twitter, before swiftly deleting - this is among her posts this month in response ]

[ Allison Pearson has used X, formerly Twitter, to defend herself and criticise Essex Police ]

Ms Pearson said the police arrived at her door on Remembrance Sunday and told her they were investigating a 'non-crime hate incident'. 

However, Essex Police dispute this and said the officers were clear the alleged offence was inciting racial hatred. 

The Times also revealed last week that UK police forces had recorded more than 13,000 non-crime hate incidents in the past 12 months, including against schoolchildren, vicars and doctors.

Former officer Harry Miller claimed 'the system is broken' and stressed that non-crime hate incidents were 'only supposed to be recorded as a form of intelligence in order to prevent future crime'.

Another non-crime hate incident recorded between April and June this year in Essex saw a suspect allegedly mimicked a victim speaking Arabic.

In a separate incident, an unnamed suspect wrote a tweet on X 'which the victim has found deeply offensive and feels that it is a racist hate crime'.

However, officers say Pearson's tweet is being treated as an alleged criminal offence of inciting racial hatred, rather than a non-crime hate incident.

Responding to the statistics, an Essex Police spokesman said: 'Our work has seen crime fall in Essex, with 9,300 fewer recorded crimes in the last year and 20,000 fewer than five years ago.

'We also know we have the support of our community, with 77 per cent of people in Essex saying they think we do a good or excellent job.

'If someone reports an incident perceived to be motivated by hate or hostility, it will be recorded in accordance with the national standards and process as set out by the College of Policing.

'With every report of this kind made to us, we must consider future risks of significant harm set against freedom of speech and act upon — and record — incidents proportionately and appropriately.'

Newly collected data shows the recording of NCHIs is widespread - with critics questioning whether the investigation of non-crime hate incidents is an appropriate use of police resources, especially in cases regarding children.

Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary and former policing minister, said: 'These examples are obviously totally absurd.

'Pursuing these sorts of incidents is a total waste of police time - they should be concentrating on criminals. It risks having a chilling effect on free speech, one of the fundamental values of this country.'

Journalist Ms Pearson said she was still in her dressing gown when Essex Police officers showed up at her door on Remembrance Sunday.

A spokesman for Essex Police said this week: 'As a police force, we investigate matters which are reported to us without fear or favour, no matter who makes a report or to whom the incident concerns.'

At the time of Ms Pearson's alleged tweet last year, the journalist was regularly posting about Hamas's October 7 attacks on Israel, as well as pro-Palestine demonstrations happening in London.

On Tuesday night, Essex Police said officers had opened an investigation under section 17 of the Public Order Act 1986 relating to material allegedly 'likely or intended to cause racial hatred'.

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"it will be recorded in accordance with the national standards and process as set out by the College of Policing."

Therein lies the problem. This is not the result of a statute or law implemented through the government. It's the concoction of an unaccountable, ideologically captured organisation that has already been told to stop the practice. This is what it looks like when your entire police force is woke.

Allison Pearson's case has subsequently been dropped but never should have been pursued in the first place.

Shoplifting goes unpursued, but social media posts bring the full force of the law.

What is a hate incident? Here's what you need to know.

“Not long ago, I was saying goodbye to a group of friends in Penn Station after a night out celebrating one of our birthdays. Three of the four of us are of Asian descent and, as we were saying our last “happy birthdays” to the birthday girl, a man said “Yeah, yeah, happy birthday. Go back to your country!” as he walked past.

To tell the truth, I normally wouldn’t have said anything, simply out of shock. Living in New York City, in one of the most diverse communities in the country, I often feel like this kind of hateful behavior is worlds away. But, because of the kind of rhetoric that bubbled to the surface during last year’s election and all the news about increases in attacks against immigrants and people of color, my guard was up.

And, so I spoke up and got loud. With all the air in my lungs, I yelled, “WHAT DID YOU SAY??!” 

When he didn’t stop, I repeated myself, even louder. He turned around then, but not to apologize or admit to what he did. He claimed that he hadn’t said a thing — a pretty obvious lie given that, with his back to us as he walked away, he still knew that it was him I was yelling at.” – Bich Ha Pham, New York City.

Read the rest of her story here.