Safety advice

You can find free safety and crime prevention advice on the Hampshire Constabulary website.

For details about keeping safe, see the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service website. This includes tips on preventing hazards around your home and maintaining smoke alarms.

You can also find information about celebrating events such as Bonfire Night, Halloween, Eid ul-Fitr, Diwali and Christmas safety.

Responding to hate crimes

We are working closely with Hampshire Constabulary and partners to monitor the situation locally and if necessary, respond to any issues.

There is no intention to raise fears or alarm in our communities but a desire to take this opportunity to raise awareness on related issues so local people feel supported and safe.

Community enquiries on local migration

We understand that, as a result of recent national debates, some people may have questions about migration locally.

If you have any questions, please email our community development team using the contact details below. The team will be able to tell you more about the local picture.

About race hate crime

Race hate crime is any incident that is motivated by hostility, prejudice or hatred towards someone because of the colour of their skin, their race, ethnicity, nationality and/or national origin.

The incident could take the form of written or printed abuse, racist graffiti or damage to property, verbal abuse, threats or intimidation, physical abuse or assault.

If the victim (or anyone else reporting) believes the incident is a race hate incident, the person you report it to should record it as a hate crime.

How to report racist hate

• You should report it to the police who will investigate all incidents, support victims and if they decide it is a criminal offence, bring the offenders to justice

• If an incident is happening right now, or the offender is still nearby, call 999 immediately. If it is less urgent, call the police on 101. Make it clear that you are reporting a race hate incident and why you think this is the case. Give as much detailed information as possible about what has happened

• It is helpful if you/other witnesses can safely capture video or other evidence but this is not a substitute for reporting a crime

What to do if you witness a race hate crime

Witnessing racism can be upsetting, but there are things you could do to help:

• Try to take the victim away from the offender and reassure them

• Attract the attention and help of others

• If witnessing verbal abuse, you should consider your own safety before intervening. Although you might want to make it clear that the comments are not acceptable, you should not put your own safety at risk

• Do not retaliate in an aggressive manner, as this could inflame the situation and make things worse

• Support the victim to report the crime (or report it yourself) and give your own contact details so you can provide witness information, if needed, for the police investigation

You will find more information about hate crime on the Hampshire Constabulary website.