Senior policing figure calls for non-crime hate incident overhaul
A senior policing figure has called for changes to the recording of non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs), warning it has become a “distraction” for officers.
Lord Nick Herbert, the chairman of the College of Policing, said the Government should “potentially” consider scrapping the category altogether.
‘Common sense’
“We need to prevent harm, we need to ensure that minorities are protected and be alive to things like antisemitism, but on the other hand we must ensure hate incidents that police are not drawn into the trivial,” the former Conservative MP told The Times.
“We want to apply a common sense approach, where the police officer would receive a complaint and they would be able to say ‘we’re sorry, we can understand you find that offensive but it’s not a matter for us’. ”
Wellbeing
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has called for police only to record NHCIs where there is a clear risk to community safety and wellbeing.
Mr Herbert said: “I think it has become an impediment to the police doing what we want the police to do, which is ensure that they are preventing harm, identifying where there is risk of harm, ensuring that it can be prevented… the category itself has become controversial and a distraction.”
His comments come after a think tank urged the Government to “abolish” the reporting category altogether, citing police resourcing and free speech concerns.
Policy Exchange published the paper by its head of crime and justice David Spencer, a former detective chief inspector in the Metropolitan Police, arguing that the policing of non-crime hate incidents is having a “chilling effect” on freedom of expression in society.
Risk
The paper has claimed NCHIs distract police officers from fighting crime and risk causing prospective employees to lose job opportunities.
Essex Police closed an investigation into Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson for alleged incitement of racial hatred over a post on social media platform X that has since been deleted.
An independent review will be launched into the force’s handling of the case.
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
Yes, time for NCHI’s to go.
Am I getting this right? Are we saying people who post comments demanding that Mosques be burned along with the occupants inside whilst attempts to do just that follow or are underway should not be treated as an imprisonable crime? Does ‘free speech’ extend to this? If so, NONE of us are even safe in our homes.
Incitement to do something in whatever form is the same as the principal offence. If an individual posts telling people to burn down a mosque then that is an incitement to commit arson and is a criminal offence and a hate crime. Be good if the CoP could define with examples of hate crime and hate non crime.
Thank you for this reply and clearing up my doubt over the article above. The bizarre term ‘Non Crime Hate Incident’ should be dumped and called what it is – a ‘Hate Crime Incident’ and must remain a matter for Police investigation. This has been dealt with properly following the summer riots. We cannot have people encouraging murder online without them paying for their crime.
I’m not sure where lord Herbert’s been hiding, but the College of Policing was told to stop this by the court of appeal in 2021: they’ve ignored that instruction ever since. It’s totally within his power to sort it out.
Policy exchange? That far right think thank that is very quiet about who funds it? Yeah, we should totally rely on them for policy. Why the heck not, that last government did when writing protest laws.
Perhaps the reason for investigations does need a look at but ignore policy exchange.
Interesting write ups in Private Eye over this Pearson incident. Obviously shines more light than the telegraph ever will.
‘Far right’ would be Swastikas and jack boots Jeff, not just people who’s opinions you don’t like.
People still think you need the symbols?
How quaint.