It isn’t OK to be nasty to those who are different to you.

That is the message from Dorset Police who are marking Hate Crime Awareness Week which runs until Saturday 15 October.

Between April 2022 and August 2022, reports of hate crime in Dorset fell by 24.4 per cent from 521 recorded hate crimes to 394. The number of crimes that saw a positive outcome, such as a conviction or community resolution, increased by 5.2 per cent. Over the past year, the positive outcome rate for religious or belief related hate crimes rose by 14.3 per cent.

Hate crime is defined as any criminal offence, which is perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person’s race; religion/belief; sexual orientation; disability or because they are transgender.

Dorset Police’s Hate Crime lead, Superintendent Ricky Dhanda, said: “There is simply no place for hate in our communities and we are absolutely committed to robustly investigating all hate crime offences, bringing offenders to justice and ensuring victims are supported.

“Very sadly, we know that hate crime is underreported, and the victims are often some of the most vulnerable members of our communities. We continue to work with partner and support agencies, including Prejudice Free Dorset, to better understand the problem and ensure victims and the wider public are aware of all the ways offences can be reported, including to third party reporting centres.

“We can only support victims and tackle this abhorrent crime if people report offences to us.”

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick said: “Having previously spoken with victims of hate crime, I know the detrimental impact it can have. That’s why tackling hate crime is a priority in my Police and Crime Plan.

“I will continue to raise awareness, ensure that Dorset Police is given more specialist training on the subject and work with partners to encourage better levels of reporting and make reporting easier for victims.”

You can report hate crime by going online at www.dorset.police.uk/hatecrime, calling 101, SMS/Text 67101, minicom/textphone 18001 101 or Sign Live (via BSL interpreters). More information and support can also be found on the website.