Community Action Team Services

Tackling Race Hate Crime - Improving Social Cohesion

• Do you have a clear idea how serious racial harassment is for communities in your area?
• How many racist incidents are reported and what is the level of under-reporting?
• Do you know why people don’t report racist incidents and what can be done to encourage more reports?
• How can support be improved for people who do report racial harassment?
• What is the range of actions that can be taken to stop the perpetrators of Race Hate Crime?
• Are effective systems set up for reporting, recording and referring cases amongst all the local agencies?
• What can be done to improve social cohesion and improve race relations?
• What role can be played by people from BME communities – those who experience racial harassment?

CAT has supported residents who experience racial harassment to answer these questions and develop recommendations, showing how the problem can be tackled effectively in their area.

CAT worked with a the Southwark United Group against Racism (SUGAR) to produce a report entitled ‘Tackling Racial Harassment in Bermondsey, Rotherhithe and the London Borough of Southwark’ with 100 Recommendations aimed at addressing:

• Supporting people who experience racial harassment
• Providing independent advice and casework support
• Investigating incidents
• Encouraging people to report racist incidents
• Taking action against perpetrators
• Housing allocations
• Tackling institutionalised racism
• Tackling racism in the community.

“CAT provided us with fantastic support, they were professional and we could get our message across to decision-makers in Southwark” Yvonne Letouche, Member of SUGAR

“This report should make us all take note. Tenants who have endured years of racist abuse are no longer prepared to put up in silence. We must hear their stories and take the actions they recommend to create a safe and pleasant environment for all the people of Bermondsey, whether they are Black or White”. Linda Bellos, when Member of the Stephen Lawrence Group, Ex-Leader of Lambeth Council

“CAT’s work was perfect and producing the Report enabled me to start dealing with the experiences I had” Meena Gayadeen, Member of SUGAR.

CAT produced the Report ‘Tackling Racial Harassment in South Newham: A Community-led Approach’, having surveyed 250 people from BME communities about their experiences of racial harassment. We found that:

• 42% of respondents had experienced racial harassment
• Most people did not report racist incidents, as they believed that nothing would/could be done
• Most people who did report thought that their case had not been dealt with properly, because no effective action was taken
• Respondents were unaware of the services they could expect to receive
• People from BME communities have an excellent understanding of the underlying issues and about ways to address racial harassment.

Many recommendations were made about ways to tackle race hate crime and these are being incorporated into the Action Plans of the Police and Local Authority.