London is one of the most diverse cities in the world. The diversity of our city is something that we are incredibly proud of and which unites us. However, for some Londoners, this also results in hate crime being directed at them because they are viewed as being different to someone else. Harrow BID is standing with TfL against hate crime.
Hate crime on public transport
The impact of hate crime is far reaching, affecting a person’s well-being through unfair treatment and division within communities. The crime does not have to include physical violence – hate crime can be verbal too.
If you are targeted because of who you are, or who a perpetrator thinks you are, it is a hate crime. Hate crime is a crime that is targeted at a person because of hostility or prejudice towards that person’s actual or perceived:
- Disability
- Race or ethnicity
- Religion or belief
- Sexual orientation
- Gender identity
How to report
You don’t have to be the victim of hate crime to report it, you can stand by your fellow Londoners by reporting what you’ve seen happening to someone else or report it on their behalf.
If you experience or witness a hate crime, you can report it by speaking to a member of our staff or contact the police by calling 101 or text 61016. You can also report it online. In an emergency, call 999.
You can find out more details on what happens after a report and how TfL are working with our policing partners to make the network as safe as possible.
Support for customers who are victims
- The Community Alliance To Combat Hate (CATCH) provides support to Londoners who have experienced hate crime. CATCH offer confidential specialist advice, support and advocacy if you are targeted.
- Met Police officers, British Transport Police officers and our staff are trained to deal with hate crime on the network sensitively and professionally. By reporting it, you may be able to prevent it from happening again to you or to someone else.
About our campaign
The ‘Hands Up’ campaign aims to make clear we will not accept any form of hate or abuse on our network and was developed following several months of engagement with community groups and TfL’s frontline staff.
Our current hate crime campaign is based on the definition of hate used by police forces and the Crown Prosecution Service. A hate crime is a criminal offence that is motivated by hate and hostility towards a person because of their disability, transgender identity, race, sexual orientation, religion or any other actual or perceived difference. This can include offences such as physical violence, sexual offences, verbal abuse and criminal damage.
Sexual harassment is not generally considered to be a hate crime unless it is motivated by hostility based on one of the aforementioned categories. However, we are also working with the British Transport Police (BTP), Rail Delivery Group, academics and sexual violence practitioners on a new communications campaign for our public transport networks to support women’s safety.
The Government has confirmed that from Autumn 2021 police forces across England and Wales will begin to record misogyny as a hate crime where the victim believes a crime has been motivated by hostility based on their sex. This will be done on an experimental basis pending recommendations for a longer-term solution from the Law Commission which has conducted a review of hate crime legislation.
