Hate Crime

Hatred is the targeting of individuals, groups and communities because of who they are. A hate crime is any criminal offence that is motivated by hostility or prejudice based upon the victim’s:

* disability 
* race 
* religion or belief 
* sexual orientation
* transgender

Anyone can be the victim of a hate crime.  We all have a racial identity, all have a sexual orientation, all have some sort of beliefs.  Anyone of us could be targeted because of some aspect of our identity. Tackling hate crime supports each and everyone of us.

All hate crime is important.  No hate crime is too minor to report to the police.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) operate an online form where you can inform them about any incident which is perceived to have been committed against another person because of their race, religion, political opinion, disability or sexual orientation. 

> Click here you need to report a hate crime incident to the PSNI.

Provide as much information as you can. You will need to switch off your web browser's Pop-Up blocker to access the form.

Note that the hate crime reporting website is not monitored 24 hours a day.  In an emergency you should call 999.

Remember if you choose not to provide your personal details the PSNI may not be able to fully investigate the incident. It will however be recorded for monitoring purposes. All personal details provided will be handled in confidence and in accordance with the Data Protection Act.

Reporting incidents will help the Police Service tackle hate crime.  The information provided is important and it will enable the police to identify areas of concern, patterns of behaviour and may assist in identifying and prosecuting offenders.

Related hate crime links from the Police Service of Northern Ireland website

> Disability hate crime - The Police Service define a disability related incident to be any incident perceived to be on the grounds of a person's physical or mental impairment by the victim or any other person.
> Homophobic hate crime - Homophobic hate crime is defined as any incident which is perceived to be homophobic by the victim or any other person.
> Racist hate crime - The Police Service define racist hate incidents to be any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person.
> Religious hate crime - Religious hate crime is any incident perceived to be on the ground of religion or faith by the victim or any other person.
> Sectarian hate crime - Sectarian hate crime is defined as any incident perceived, by the victim or any other person, as being sectarian.  The term sectarian is broadly understood to describe incidents based on a person’s perceived religion or political opinion.
> Transphobic hate crime - The Police Service define a transphobic incident to be any incident which is perceived to be transphobic by the victim or any other person.

 

 

Other useful student safety information

> Be safe, be secure - a practical guide to crime reduction (PDF)
> Dont advertise your phone - protect your phone (PDF)
> Student survival guide - safety needn't cramp your style (PDF)
> You, alcohol and safety - a guide on how to keep yourself safe when you are drinking (PDF)

Protect yourself and your belongings - student posters

> Simple steps to reduce bike crime (PDF)
> Think when you drink - Get Home Safe (PDF)
> Bye Pod. Don't advertise your MP£ to thieves (PDF)
> To you it's a pit, to a burglar it's a goldmine (PDF)
> Don't advertise your house to burglars (PDF)

Adobe Acrobat Reader

Adobe Reader is a free to download plug-in that allows users to view files that are created in the Portable Document Format (PDF). Whereas HTML files or MS Word files can often render very differently from computer to computer, PDF files always retain the "look and feel" of the original document with all special formatting, graphics, and color intact.

The terms Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat Reader are often used interchangeably and can cause some confusion - but essentially there are only two different programs. One is Adobe Acrobat, a piece of software which is used to create PDF documents and can be purchased. The other is Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free plug-in that allows users to view (but not create) PDF documents.