PCD 1631 National Hate Crime Awareness Week

PCD 1631 National Hate Crime Awareness Week

The Mayor remains committed to tackling hate crime, as set out in his Police and Crime Plan 2022-25. He has pledged to champion diversity, promote integration, and stand in solidarity with all of London’s diverse communities against hatred and abuse; and work with partners to build community confidence and resilience to stand together against hate.   

This decision seeks the continuation of an annual £25,000 grant to pay for resources to enable London community-based events during National Hate Crime Awareness Week for the next three years, 2024/25 to 2026/27 at a total cost of £75,000. 

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:   

1. Approve the award of £25,000 per year over three years from 2024/25 to 2026/27 to the charity 17-24-30, at a total financial commitment of up to £75,000; 

2. Delegate authority for the finalisation and execution of the grant to the Chief Financial Officer, in accordance with the general power of delegation in paragraphs 1.7 of the MOPAC Scheme of Consent and Delegation. 

PART I - NON-CONFIDENTIAL FACTS AND ADVICE TO THE DMPC 

1. Introduction and background  

1. Reports of hate crime in London have followed an upward trend in the past five years, with notable spikes seen during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown and following national and international events such as Black Lives Matter Activities, the EU referendum and its aftermath, terror attacks at home and abroad, and hostilities in Israel/Palestine.  

2. The Mayor’s Police and Crime Plan 2022-25 clearly laid out his ongoing commitment to combatting hate crime with several specific pledges to champion diversity, promote integration and stand in solidarity with all of London’s diverse communities against hatred and abuse; and work with partners to build community confidence and resilience to stand together against hate.  

2. Issues for consideration 

2.1 National Hate Crime Awareness Week (NHCAW) is a campaign established in 2012 to highlight hate crime and the work underway by statutory and community organisations to combat it.   Low levels of awareness are one of the factors that results in the underreporting of hate crimes.    

2.2 Usually taking place in the first or second week in October, it is a key event in the annual Hate Crime programme.  MOPAC has supported National Hate Crime Awareness Week through the provision of a grant every year for the last 10 years.   This grant enables the purchase of resources to support community-based events across London during the week.    

2.3 As part of our contribution to London-wide participation in National Hate Crime Awareness Week, MOPAC works with the charity 17-24-30 NationalHCAW, (who created National Hate Crime Awareness Week) to provide the resources across London and to track community-based events to promote hate crime awareness and National Hate Crime Awareness Week itself.  The purchase and distribution of resources is undertaken by the charity through its paid staff and volunteers.   

2.4 This decision seeks a continuation of that support with a grant of £25,000 per year over the next three financial years (2024-25; 2025-26; and 2026-27) to 17-24-30 NationalHCAW, at a total cost of £75,000. 

3. Financial Comments 

1. The budget required is £25,000 per year from 2024/25 to 2026/27. This will be funded from the C&P core budget in each financial year. 

4. Legal Comments  

4.1 MOPAC’s general powers are set out in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (the 2011 Act). Section 3(6) of the 2011 Act provides that MOPAC must “secure the maintenance of the metropolitan police service and secure that the metropolitan police service is efficient and effective.” Under Schedule 3, paragraph 7 (1) MOPAC has wide incidental powers to “do anything which is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to, the exercise of the functions of the Office.” Paragraph 7(2) (a) provides that this includes entering into contracts and other agreements.   

4.2 Section 143 (1) (b) of the Anti-Social, Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides for MOPAC to provide or commission services “intended by the local policing body to victims or witnesses of or other persons affected by, offences and anti-social behaviour.”   

4.3 There are further relevant powers set out in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 at sections 17(1) (a) to (c) which place MOPAC under a duty to exercise its functions with due regard to the likely effect of the exercise of those functions on, and the need to do all it can to prevent, crime and disorder (including anti-social and other behaviour adversely affecting the local environment), reoffending in its area, and the misuse of drugs, alcohol and other substances in its area. The proposed arrangements are consistent with MOPAC’s duties in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.   

4.4 Paragraph 4.8 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides that the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC) has delegated authority to approve all offers of grant funding.   

4.5 Paragraph 4.6 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides the DMPC authority to delegate those functions which are reserved for the DMPC.    

4.6 These recommendations are in line with the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent.   

4.7 Officers must ensure the Financial Regulations and Contract Regulations are complied with.   

4.8 Officers should ensure that the funding agreements are put in place with and executed by MOPAC and each of the providers before any commitment to fund is made.  

5. Commercial Issues 

5.1 This decision requests approval to create a new grant.   

5.2 There are no procurement issues with this decision. The charity 17-24-30 NationalHCAW is the sole and single organisation that undertakes the purchase and distribution of resources to support London community-based events in National Hate Crime Awareness Week.  

5.3 MOPAC makes no commitment to fund the organisation listed in 2.3 and 2.4 above until a grant agreement has been signed by both parties.  This will detail the performance and payment schedules, in line with previous arrangements.  

5.4 The grant agreement will comply with the MOPAC Scheme of Consent and Delegation.   

6. Public Health Approach  

6.1 This decision provides funding to enable a better informed and more cohesive partnership approach to improving outcomes for victims in London which will align with and support the VRU’s public health approach to tackling the causes of violent crime in London. 

7. GDPR and Data Privacy  

1. MOPAC will adhere to the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 and ensure that any organisations who are commissioned to do work with or on behalf of MOPAC are fully compliant with the policy and understand their GDPR responsibilities.   

8. Equality Comments  

8.1 Under s149 of the Equality Act 2010 (the Equality Act), as a public authority the Deputy Mayor/MOPAC must have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and any conduct that is prohibited by or under this Act; and to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. Protected characteristics under the Equality Act are age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, and marriage or civil partnership status (the duty in respect of this last characteristic is to eliminate unlawful discrimination only).   

8.2 The definition of hate crime was set by the Home Office, in agreement with criminal justice system partners, in 2007. It states that “A hate crime is defined as any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a personal characteristic; specifically actual or perceived race, religion/faith, sexual orientation, disability and transgender identity.” As such, certain communities are disproportionately affected by hate crimes on the basis of one or other of those characteristics.   

8.3 Hate crime victims have higher levels of depression, stress and anger, and for longer, than victims of all crime. The service provider will comprise partners who work with and support victims of all strands of hate crime whether it be motivated by race, faith, sexual orientation, disability or transgender status or an intersection of two or more of these personal characteristics.  

8.4 Equality monitoring will form part of the contract management of the service, ensuring equitable access to services and pro-actively addressing any barriers to the service. 

9. Background/supporting papers 

9.1 N/A