Understanding Hate Crime

Hate Crime Charter – zero-tolerance approach to hate crime on Scotland’s public transport network.

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What is Hate Crime?

Hate crime is when you are targeted because of who you are who someone thinks you are. This could be because of your disability, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender identity.

Police Scotland says that hate crime is an offence. An offence is something that is against the law.

3 boys pointing and making fun of an elderly woman who is using a mobility cane

Examples of hate crime

Here are some examples of what Police Scotland says is a hate crime:

verbal abuse like name-calling and nasty jokes
harassment
bullying or intimidation by people of any age
physical attacks such as hitting, punching, pushing, spitting
threats of violence
hoax calls, abusive phone or text messages or hate mail
online abuse, for example, on Facebook or Twitter
writing or sharing stories or posters that say nasty things about someone
harm or damage to things such as your home, a pet or a car
graffiti
deliberately setting fire to your property
throwing rubbish into a garden
making a false complaint against you.

Two people reporting a crime to a Police Officer

How to report a hate crime

All hate crimes and incidents should be reported.

By reporting, you will help people like the police, local councils, and housing associations to see patterns of behaviour locally, and help to show areas that could be a problem within your community.

There are lots of ways you can report a hate crime.

You can report if you are the victim if you have seen this happen to someone else, or if someone asks you to report it for them.

A mobile phone next to a blue police light

999 Emergency number

In an emergency, you should always dial 999.

If you cannot make voice calls, you can now contact the 999 emergency services by SMS text from your mobile phone.

However, you will only be able to use this service if you have registered with emergency SMS first. See the Police Scotland website for details.

Someone sitting on their armchair using their smart phone

101 Non Emergency Number

If the crime is not an emergency, call 101

British Transport Police text reporting service. Text 61016 to discreetly report incidents on trains or at stations. Illustration shows a hand holding a phone with example text messages including 'Very rowdy passengers on train to Berryford. Please send help', 'Teens vandalising Eastbridge station platform 2', and 'Man drunk on Carriage B Due in at Plainfields in 5 minutes'.

British Transport Police 61016 Text Service

Report non-emergency incidents when on a train or at a railway station by texting British Transport Police on 61016.

Police woman at police station reception

Contact your local police station

You can speak to the police in confidence.

You do not have to tell them your details, but any investigation and ability to prosecute the offender(s) is limited if the police cannot contact you.

Contact your local police force, either by telephone or by visiting your local police station.

Details on how to contact your local police force can be found on the Police Scotland website

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Report online

You can report online using the Hate Crime Form on Police Scotland’s website

3rd party reporting centres

Sometimes victims/witnesses of Hate Crimes do not feel comfortable reporting to the Police and may be more comfortable reporting it to someone they are familiar with.

View 3rd party reporting centres

Hate Crime Charter

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