Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has confirmed that police in England and Wales will stop recording non-crime hate incidents in their current form, as part of wider policing reforms. The category covers incidents perceived to be motivated by hostility or prejudice but which do not meet the criminal threshold.
Critics argue the move could be disastrous for disabled people, who often experience lower-level abuse that can escalate into serious hate crimes. Professor Stephen Macdonald of Durham University said such incidents are 'the hidden day-to-day reality for many disabled people' and warned that losing this intelligence could allow abuse to escalate into stalking, harassment or assault.
Mark Brookes of Dimensions, a learning disability support provider, described being followed and verbally abused while walking home. He said recording such incidents is vital for building patterns of abuse. Louise Holden of Inclusion London noted that only one in ten hate crimes against disabled people is reported, and removing this evidence base could further undermine justice.
Mahmood has said she wants officers to focus on 'the day job' and stop policing 'perfectly legal tweets'. However, Police Scotland confirmed they will continue to record non-crime hate incidents for monitoring community tensions.
