Conservative Politicians Working Together to Stop Hate Crime in Staffordshire

Tackling hate crime in Staffordshire is playing an integral part in making the county a safer place for everyone, the County’s Community Safety Leader said this week.

Speaking after a joint event to understand hate crime better and how it can be tackled, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Support Member for Community Safety, Cllr Mark Sutton, said addressing the issue was everyone’s responsibility.

Hate crime is defined as when an offender targets the victim because they believe they are different in some way, be that because of their sexuality, a disability, their race, religion, gender or even because of the way they look or dress.  Yesterday’s event, held at Staffordshire University, brought together a range of organisations from across the county and Stoke-on-Trent.  Its aim was to bring better understanding of the issue both in Staffordshire and nationally and to draw up a joint plan to tackle it.

Cllr Sutton said, “It is hugely encouraging to see the positive force we have in Staffordshire across a range of organisations to stop hate crime.  This type of crime has a devastating impact on people and communities and can have tragic consequences.

“It is hard to understand why anyone would commit this type of crime and it is important that perpetrators are brought to justice.  However, it is vital that easily accessible support to victims is in place and that we are working to prevent this crime from happening in the long-term by addressing root causes.

“Staffordshire people should be confident that we have a committed team who are already doing a great deal to tackle hate crime.  We know there is a lot to be done, but we are continuing to strengthen our partnership to make this county a safer place which is a priority to us.”

The event was organised by Staffordshire County Council and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, both of which are currently controlled by Conservative Party elected politicians.  The event was also supported by Staffordshire Police, Challenge North Staffordshire (CNS), Chase Against Crimes of Hate (CACH) and Partnership Against Crimes of Hate (PACH).