As a proud member and ally of the LGBTQ community in Hampshire, it breaks my heart to see the persistent threats and discrimination that many of us endure on a daily basis. Our community has long striven for equal rights and acceptance, yet we still face the relentless tide of hate crimes that threaten our safety and well-being. For many of us, every step outside is overshadowed by a fear of being targeted for simply being who we are.

The issue of LGBTQ hate crimes is not just about isolated incidents; it is about a pervasive threat that undermines our rights and freedoms. Statistics from Stonewall reveal that one in five LGBTQ people have experienced a hate crime because of their sexual orientation or gender identity in the last year alone. Despite these staggering figures, there remains a glaring gap in the adequate policing and prosecution of these crimes, especially in the Hampshire and Thames Valley area.

OUR DEMANDS

INCREASED TRAINING AND SENSITIVITY WORKSHOPS
Police officers and relevant staff should undergo mandatory, regular training on LGBTQ+ issues, hate crime, victim support, and the specific barriers that LGBTQ+ people may face when reporting incidents.

Training should include how to recognise and record hate crime, respond appropriately to victims, deal sensitively with LGBTQ+ people, and ensure that reports are handled consistently, fairly and without prejudice.

DEDICATED LGBTQ+ LIAISON OFFICERS
Hampshire Constabulary should appoint clearly identified officers with specific responsibility and appropriate training for LGBTQ+ hate crime and community engagement.

These officers should provide a trusted point of contact for victims and local LGBTQ+ organisations, helping to ensure that concerns are properly understood, recorded, investigated and followed up.

PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS
The PCC and Hampshire Constabulary should work with local LGBTQ+ organisations and community groups to deliver regular public awareness campaigns about LGBTQ+ rights, hate crime, how to report incidents, and the support available to victims.

These campaigns should aim to increase confidence in reporting, challenge prejudice, and make clear that LGBTQ+ hate crime will be taken seriously.

TRANSPARENT REPORTING AND SUPPORT MECHANISMS
Reporting hate crime should be straightforward, accessible, safe and confidential wherever possible.

Clear information should be publicly available explaining how victims and witnesses can report incidents, what support is available, and what happens after a report is made.

Victims should have access to appropriate confidential support throughout the process, including alternative routes to support where they do not feel comfortable engaging directly with the police.

A CLEAR AND PUBLICLY AVAILABLE HATE CRIME ACTION PLAN
We are calling on both the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and Hampshire Constabulary (HC) to publish a clear and detailed action plan setting out how LGBTQ+ hate crime will be dealt with in accordance with the law, relevant guidance and policing procedures.

This action plan should clearly explain:

• How an allegation of hate crime is assessed and recorded.

• What criteria are used when deciding whether an incident meets the relevant definition of a hate crime.

• What evidence and information will be considered when deciding what action should be taken.

• The circumstances in which an investigation will be opened, progressed or closed.

• How decisions to take no further action will be reached, documented and explained.

• How victims will be informed of significant decisions affecting their case.

• What timescales victims can reasonably expect for updates.

• Who is responsible for overseeing these decisions.

• How compliance with the relevant law, guidance and policing standards will be monitored.

The aim must be to ensure that victims, witnesses and the wider community can understand exactly what should happen when a hate crime is reported and what safeguards exist when it does not happen as expected.

A CLEAR, ACCESSIBLE APPEAL AND REVIEW PROCESS
We are calling on the PCC and Hampshire Constabulary to publish a clear and accessible process for victims and complainants who believe that an alleged hate crime has not been dealt with appropriately.

There must be a clearly explained route to request a review where a person believes:

• Their report was not properly recorded or assessed.

• Relevant evidence or information was not adequately considered.

• The decision-making process did not follow the law or applicable guidance.

• An investigation was discontinued without adequate explanation.

• Their concerns were not taken seriously.

• They were not given appropriate information about what happened to their report.

• The handling of their case fell below the required standard.

The published process should clearly explain who can conduct the review, what timescales apply, what information will be considered, how the outcome will be communicated, and what further avenues of complaint or review are available.

PCC OVERSIGHT AND ESCALATION
Where a complainant believes that their concerns have not been adequately addressed through the normal review process, there should be a clearly published mechanism for bringing serious or systemic concerns to the attention of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, or the appropriate PCC oversight mechanism.

We are asking for this to provide genuine accountability rather than simply another signposting exercise.

Where there are credible concerns about whether a hate crime has been properly recorded, investigated or dealt with, there should be a transparent process for ensuring that those concerns receive appropriate scrutiny within the PCC’s statutory powers.

The process should also make clear what the PCC can and cannot intervene in, so that victims are given accurate expectations about the role of the PCC while still having a meaningful route to raise concerns about policing standards and systemic failures.

REGULAR PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY AND REPORTING
The PCC and Hampshire Constabulary should publish regular information on progress against these commitments, including relevant hate crime reporting and outcome data, training and community engagement activity, identified areas for improvement, and actions taken in response to complaints and reviews.

Personal and legally protected information must, of course, remain confidential.

CLEAR ACCOUNTABILITY WHEN CASES ARE DROPPED OR NO FURTHER ACTION IS TAKEN
Where a reported hate crime is closed, discontinued or receives a decision of no further action, victims should receive a clear explanation of the decision, subject to any legal restrictions on what can be disclosed.

The explanation should make clear what decision has been made, why it was made, whether the decision can be reviewed or challenged, and how the victim can access that review process.

No victim should be left simply being told that their case has been closed without understanding what has happened or what options remain available to them.

OUR AIM
These measures are intended to create a system in which LGBTQ+ people in Hampshire can report hate crime with confidence, understand what should happen after they report it, and have access to meaningful review and accountability when they believe their concerns have not been dealt with appropriately.

We want a clear, lawful and transparent process that gives victims confidence that their reports will be taken seriously, assessed appropriately, investigated where appropriate, and subject to proper oversight where decisions are challenged.

By implementing these measures, we can work towards a safer and more inclusive Hampshire where everyone is able to live authentically and free from fear of harassment, discrimination and hate crime.