We are supporting National Hate Crime Awareness Week, which is being held from 14 to 21 October.
We believe in a home for everyone, and are committed to ensuring our customers are safe from hate crimes in our communities.
What is a hate crime?
Hate crimes are any crimes that are targeted at a person because of:
- Disability
- Race or ethnicity
- Religion or belief
- Sexual orientation
- Transgender identity
Hate crime can happen in different ways, including offensive language, physical assault, vandalism or criminal damage, and threats or intimidation.
What are LiveWest doing to deal with hate crimes or incidents?
Hate crimes and incidents are high priority for us, under our Anti-social and Hate Crime Policy and Procedure. For reports of hate crimes, we will aim to respond and complete investigations within 24 hours.
When a customer reports a hate crime or incident to us, we will work with the customer on the next steps. This can include working with other agencies, such as the police.
What should you do if you are the victim of a hate crime?
Hate crimes should be reported to the police, either by calling 101 or 999.
You can get further advice and support from Stand Against Racism & Inequality (SARI) in Somerset and the West of England, or we can ask them to contact you.
The National Stop Hate UK website also provides advice and has a 24-hour helpline which you can call on 0800 138 1625.
You can also report hate crimes to us using our online report antisocial behaviour form.