Three Rivers leisure centres become hate crime reporting hubs

Staff at William Penn Leisure Centre in Rickmansworth and South Oxhey Leisure Centre, both owned by Three Rivers District Council and are managed by Everyone Active, received specialist training in how to support people who are a victim of a hate crime or have witnessed a hate crime.

Hate crimes include assaults, threats or acts of vandalism, or any other crime committed against someone because of their:

· Disability

· Race

· Religion

· Transgender identity

· Sexual orientation.

Research consistently shows that hate crimes and incidents are more underreported than other crime. Many people, for a variety of reasons, are reluctant to report crime directly to the police and Third-party reporting is a way to overcome this. Everyone Active has agreed to make reports to the police on behalf of victims who do not want to go directly to the police. They will provide a supportive, positive and confidential environment for hate crime victims to make a report. You can remain anonymous if you wish, and you don’t need to have contact with the police if you don’t want to.

Cllr Steve Drury, Lead Member for Community Engagement, Public Safety & Housing, said: “While Three Rivers is generally a safe and tolerant area, unfortunately, hate crime and incidents do occur. We do not accept and tolerate any bigotry or racism. That is why I am pleased that our district has more centres for people to report a hate crime or incident, further breaking down the barrier that people may have when reporting a hate crime.

“Three Rivers District Council’s head office, Three Rivers House, in Rickmansworth as well as our Healthy Hubs in Mill End, South Oxhey and Abbots Langley are also third-party reporting centres for hate crimes. We remain committed to keeping our area safe and welcoming, and supporting victims who face discrimination.”