Huge increase in hate crime in Manchester following terror attack

There has been a significant increase in the amount of hate crimes reported across the Greater Manchester region since the terror attack at the Manchester Arena.

Reports of religious hate crime have seen the largest increase, with cases reported increasing three times, but other types of hate crime also seen an increase during that same time.

This rise seems to have halted for now though, with the level of hate crime reports returning to similar reporting levels as before the attack.

The Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts said: “Greater Manchester has a diverse population, with people from different faiths and backgrounds and this is something that we are proud of, it’s what makes us the city we are.  We will not tolerate hatred or discrimination of any kind.

“When a major tragedy occurs such as the attacks in Manchester and London, it is sadly not unusual for there to be a spike in the amount of hate crimes, specifically against race and religion, but thankfully they do decrease again quickly.

“We continue to monitor the levels of hate crimes that are reported and it is essential that we remind people about the importance of reporting when a hate crime happens to you, or you see it happening. 

“Hate crime is often under-reported for a number of reasons, but we want people to have the confidence in coming forward as no one should be the subject of hate and intolerance.

“We are grateful to have very strong relationships and cooperation with different faith groups in Greater Manchester.

“To report a hate crime, if you don’t feel comfortable coming to speak to the police, you can report a hate crime through Tell Mama who support victims of Islamophobia, Community Security Trust who protects British Jews from anti-Semitism or you can report anonymously by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

“There are also a number of non-police centres that allow you to report incidents in complete confidence, more information and for reporting centres locations can be found at letsendhatecrime.com.

“In an emergency call 999 – this is when a crime is being committed or has just been witnessed, there is a risk of injury, or a risk of serious damage to property.

“To report a non-emergency incident or make a general inquiry, call the non-emergency number 101.”

Here is a full table of the increases and decreases in cases of hate crime reported:

Have you been affected by this increase in hate crime? Have you personally seen, or been the victim, of hate crime? Let us know in the comments.