BUDE-STRATTON town councillors unanimously agreed to back Devon and Cornwall Police’s ‘Zero Tolerance to Hate’ campaign at their annual meeting on Thursday, August 2.

Sergeant Julie Jamaa Ben M’hand from the Diverse Communities Team gave a talk before taking questions from the room.

Mrs Jamaaa Ben M’hand said: “I’ve been in the post since October 2017. We get involved with lots of schemes including engagement capacity, intermediate groups, police services and developing commercial intelligence and engagements.

“We look at reporting of hate crimes and hate incidents. We know they’re underreported here and nationally and we’d like to change that.

“But why? People don’t feel they have a voice or that nothing can be done about discrimination and prejudice.

“As an organisation we’re actively looking for people to report crime and hate crimes although it can also be reported by a third person.

“However, it has to be motivated by crime and has to show hate to the individual.

“Hate crime is one thing but a hate incident doesn’t reach the criminal threshold although we still want it reported although it’s still relatively new and not all police forces do it.

“It helps us build a bigger picture and gives us intelligence that we can act upon and be developed.

“We want to target groups and work with people such as in schools.”

Mrs Jamaa Ben M’hand then went onto explain the difference between a ‘hate crime’ and a ‘hate incident’.

She said: “People often ask what’s an incident or a crime but report it and we’ll tell you.

“We have a victim care unit and we’re also supported by public protection and the National Crime Agency. It’s safe to say we’re a Jack of all trades, master of none so to speak.

“However we can’t do it alone, we need help from the community through education and the public taking a stance.

“In the Devon and Cornwall Police, we’ve organised a campaign called the ‘Zero Tolerance to Hate’ campaign and it’s a promotion to work together to stop hate crimes.

“We’re asking organisations and bodies to sign a pledge that supports what we’re doing. It’s about standing up and saying that prejudice won’t be tolerated!”

She then went on to explain the five charachteristics that motivates hate crime.

Those are race, religion, sexual orientation, disability and transgender idendity.

She concluded by saying: “I’m asking you to support the pledge as a council.”

Cllr Paul Tilzey said: “I propose that we should support.”

Cllr Tony Gibbs then asked: “If someone made a report and it’s an incident and not a crime, how do you deal with it?”

Mrs Jamaa Ben M’hand said: “For instance, there was a transportation company issue about someone being refused entry.

“It was reported as a crime incident and we worked with the company to educate them and then ask if there’s anything we can assist with.

“There are also things like bacon and pork left on takeaway doorsteps. It’s not a crime but we look at how we can support and assist.”

Cllr Francis Richens then asked, “How do you deal with situations on social media?”

Mrs Jamaa Ben M’hand said: “Social media is the hardest thing to police. It could be ill-informed.

“If it is a crime there’s only so much we can do as it’s so vast.

“In times of less resources we can’t police everything. We work with companies and been successful in the past of having posts removed.

“However, if we remove posts, we found that encourgament sometimes fuels things, so it’s a fine balancing act.

“We need to be mindful, sometimes, that the public police themselves by responding to that comment. It’s such a complex issue.

Cllr Richens replied: “So is it worth reporting?” to which Mrs Jamaa Ben M’hand added: “Yes of course.”

After a brief mention about details on the website and what the wording of the proposal should be, Bude mayor, Cllr Bob Willingham proposed that Bude-Stratton Town Council pledges to support the Devon and Cornwall Police’s ‘Zero Tolerance to Hate’ Campaign, which was unanimously backed by the council.