Racist incident recording

Please tell us what you think about our website, we welcome your feedback.

Customer notice

Due to essential maintenance some of our web services will be unavailable between these times 7pm Friday 25 May and 5pm Sunday 27 May 2012.

Racist behaviour in the form of racial harassment and violence in the community will not be tolerated. Wiltshire Council is committed to promoting equality and diversity in our community, and to taking effective action to prevent racist discrimination.

Please report racial harassment

If we don't hear about harassment, we can't do anything about it.
We want people to feel safe in their homes and on the streets.
We want you to feel confident that we will listen to you and that action will be taken.

Tell us that you have been a victim of racism, or have witnessed a racist incident. Report every incident to the police or to Wiltshire Council.

What is racial harassment?

Most forms of racial harassment are criminal offences and should be reported. Racial harassment can include:

• verbal abuse
• nuisance phone calls
• hate mail
• graffiti
• vandalism
• attacks on property
• arson
• any physical assault
• racially motivated bullying

Who are the victims?

The victims of racism are usually people from visible ethnic minority groups, but it must be remembered that other groups can be affected. These can include travellers, refugees, members of the Jewish community and immigrants from Eastern Europe.

What to do if you are the victim of or witness to a racist incident

• Write down the date and time of the incident
• Write down everything you can remember about what you saw and heard during an incident
• If you are the victim make sure you get the names and addresses of any witnesses
• Record as much detail as possible about the offender and any vehicle they might have used
• Report the incident as soon as you possibly can to the police or Wiltshire Council

If you know a victim of racism

Provide as much support and friendship as you can. Reassure them that they are not isolated in this time of need. Encourage them to report the incident.

What will we do when you  report a racist incident?

We will try to obtain the victim’s permission to investigate the incident. If the incident is very serious, we will need to involve the police. We will deal with the report confidentially, and information will only be shared with those who need it in order to deal with the incident effectively.

In addition to trying to resolve incidents for the individuals concerned, we also collect anonymous statistical information about racial incidents which helps us to decide whether there are any patterns that need more work, such as training, partnership work or community development, in order to reduce the occurrence of racist incidents.

Useful addresses and contact numbers

Emergency calls
Telephone: 999 or 112

Wiltshire Police
Telephone: 01380 722341

Wiltshire Council
Telephone: 0300 456 0100

Wiltshire Racial Equality Council
Telephone: 01225 766439

Support Against Racist Incidents
Telephone: 0117 952 5652
Fax 9117 952 5454
Email sari@sari.freeserve.co.uk

Victim Support Wiltshire and Swindon
Telephone: 01380 729476

Crimestoppers
Telephone: 0800 555 111

If you have any questions about reporting incidents of discrimination, harassment, or unfair treatment please refer to the Wiltshire Council complaints procedure or for hate crime please contact the police directly.

Schools

For racist incident guidance for schools and reporting procedures please comtact the school concerned.

Last updated: 26 May 2009