Police officers in Leeds spent their Sunday visiting faith communities across the city as part of a nationwide push to tackle hate crime and make sure local residents know how to report it.
Police Community Support Officers from the Leeds East Neighbourhood Policing Team dropped in on congregations in Seacroft and Burmantofts on Sunday 11th October, timing the visits to coincide with National Hate Crime Awareness Week.
The visits were about more than just handing out leaflets. Officers took the time to sit down with community members, answer questions, and offer practical advice on what hate crime actually looks like and how to report it. For many people in these communities, having a familiar face from the local policing team show up at their place of worship carries a lot of weight.
Seacroft and Burmantofts are both areas with diverse, tight-knit communities, and faith buildings often act as the social backbone of those neighbourhoods. By going directly to where people gather, rather than waiting for residents to come to them, the team was able to reach people who might not otherwise engage with the police.
Hate crime remains a serious concern across West Yorkshire. Incidents targeting people because of their religion, race, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity continue to be reported, and officers are keen to stress that every report matters, no matter how minor it might seem to the victim at the time.
National Hate Crime Awareness Week runs annually and is designed to encourage victims and witnesses to come forward. One of the biggest barriers to reporting is that many people simply do not realise that what happened to them counts as a hate crime, or they worry they will not be taken seriously.
The Leeds East NPT has been working hard to build trust with communities that have historically had complicated relationships with policing. Showing up at a Sunday service or a community gathering is a simple but effective way of breaking down those barriers and showing that local officers genuinely want to listen.
As well as speaking with adults, officers also spent time with younger members of the congregations, some of whom got the chance to try on mini police uniforms, which went down well by all accounts.
Anyone in the Leeds area who has experienced or witnessed a hate crime can report it directly to West Yorkshire Police, or through the independent charity True Vision at report-it.org.uk. Reports can also be made anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.