Salford launches Hate Crime Reporting Ambassadors

A new scheme aimed at making it easier for people to report hate crime has been launched today by Salford City Council, with support from Greater Manchester Police and Victim Support.

Over 100 people have signed up to become Hate Crime Reporting Ambassadors and will act as trusted points of contact within their communities and workplaces.

 Under the new scheme, reporting ambassadors will be equipped to:

• Help individuals understand their reporting options
• Assist with submitting a report, either anonymously or formally
• Signpost to further specialist support services, such as Victim Support

 A hate crime is a criminal offence perceived as motivated by hostility or prejudice towards someone's identity, specifically targeting disability, race/ethnicity, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or transgender identity, and can include assault, harassment or property damage.

Reporting hate crime helps the police understand the scale of the problem and may prevent the incident from escalating or happening to someone else. It can also provide support for victims and deter potential perpetrators. 

The scheme launches as part of Salford’s ongoing commitment to tackling hate crime and improving confidence in reporting. Many incidents still go unreported, and the new network aims to break down barriers by providing support in trusted, familiar settings.

Councillor Barbara Bentham, Lead Member for Neighbourhoods, Environment and Community Safety at Salford City Council said ““Everyone has the right to live without fear, discrimination or intimidation. This new scheme strengthens our commitment to supporting victims, giving people more accessible ways to report incidents, and helping us to build safer, more inclusive communities in Salford.”

Superintendent Mike Russell, GMP’s force lead for hate crime said: “We treat hate crime seriously but recognise that it is underreported and that the number of reports we do receive may not be representative of the true scale of the issue.

“I would encourage anyone who is a victim of hate crime, of any form, to come forward to us as you will be listened to and supported. This can be done by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency, or online via our website reporting tool or LiveChat service.

“We know that it can be a difficult subject for victims to speak about and want to provide reassurance that all reports made to us will be taken very seriously.”

Kate Green OBE, Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester with responsibility for Safer and Stronger Communities said “Greater Manchester is proud to be a place where difference is recognised, valued and celebrated. Greater Manchester’s Hate Crime Awareness Week is an important moment to stand together and say clearly that prejudice, discrimination and hate have no place in our communities.

“Salford’s Hate Crime Reporting Ambassadors will play a vital role in helping people feel safer, more confident to report hate crime and better supported when they do. Their commitment shows that the solutions to tackling hate crime are found within our communities themselves.

“Through our Greater Manchester Hate Crime Plan, we are focused on prevention, education and bringing people together. Everyone, whatever their background or beliefs, has the right to live without fear. By working together, we can build a city region that is safer, more united and welcoming for all.”

Owen Power, one of Salford’s new ambassadors said “As a Salford resident ambassadors who is D/deaf, gay and Jewish, it’s really important to me that we have effective systems in our city to report hate crime. We need safe spaces for people to comfortably and reliably report their experience of hate crime so we can do something about it.”