EDITORIAL APPEAL FOR CALM WELL RECEIVED

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Editorial appeal for calm well received

An open letter to Mercury editor Richard Bettsworth:

On behalf of the Federation of Muslim Organisations, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the editorial published on Friday, May 24.

The shocking events that unfolded in Woolwich last Wednesday, when Drummer Lee Rigby was brutally slaughtered in broad daylight in full view of passing members of the public, has been almost universally condemned, including by most of the Muslim community.

We live now in most troubled times where the actions of a few criminals can unfortunately have a detrimental effect on other members of a law-abiding community.

Regrettably, there have already been a number of incidents of hate crime, targeting the Muslim community, which have been reported.

This is a clearly unacceptable state of affairs and we as a society must not accept or tolerate hate crime carried out against any individual, group or organisation.

It is against this background, that your editorial is much welcomed.

Your emphasis on the fact that the horrifying events in Woolwich are not reflective of the behaviour of an entire community could not have been expressed better.

Moreover, your appeal for calm has been extremely well-received by the community, as well as other communities who have asked us to relay their thanks to you.

There was absolutely no obligation for you to write this editorial.

However, the fact you have gone out of your way to do so reflects your humanitarian concern for safer and stronger community cohesion, something which we in Leicester have prided ourselves in for many years now.

At a time when some sections of the media have come under attack for their sensationalist reporting, yours is an example of balanced and just reporting which needs to be recognised. You have clearly set yourselves out as an example for others in the media to follow.

Suleman Nagdi, Federation of Muslim Organisations.

REPORT GAY DOMESTIC ABUSE

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Inspector Mark Parish, head of Leicestershire Police's domestic violence investigation unit

Report gay domestic abuse

by Ciaran Fagan

Police have launched a campaign to encourage gay people to come forward if they are being abused by their partners.

The drive was launched yesterday as police believe the crime is particularly under-reported.

Posters which bear the message "Domestic abuse doesn't discriminate – and nor do we" are being distributed across Leicestershire.

In 2011-12, the force investigated 81 reports of domestic crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people – a small fraction of the 17,000-plus offences reported to the force in the past year.

Also, a survey carried out at Leicester Pride two years ago found that 46 per cent of those questioned had experienced some form of domestic violence.

Detective Inspector Mark Parish, who leads the force's domestic abuse investigation unit, said: "When you compare surveys of people's experience with recorded crime, it is clear members of the LGBT communities are under-reporting domestic abuse.

"There are likely to be two main reasons for this.

"The first is they may not recognise the signs of abuse, and what help there is available.

"The second is that, historically, there has been distrust between police and LGBT communities. However, things have changed. You can have confidence Leicestershire Police will listen to your issues and carry out a professional investigation without discrimination."

The campaign is being supported by domestic violence organisations and Leicester's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Centre in Wellington Street, in the city centre. It was launched yesterday at the Rainbow and Dove pub, a gay venue.

Paula Harris, co-chairman for the LGBT Community Safety Forum, said: "It is great to see police are taking this matter seriously.

"Hopefully, these posters will raise people's awareness that domestic abuse can and does happen in any type of relationship and it is not just about physical violence. I would urge anyone living in an abusive relationship to report it."

Meena Kumari, manager of domestic violence support service Safe Leicester, said: "Safe takes domestic abuse seriously.

"This is a real under-reported crime and would like to help the community gain the level of support they are entitled to."

PROTECTION IS NEEDED FOR ALL VICTIMISED FOLK

Dr Neil Chakroborti has written the First Person column in today's Leicester Mercury:

Protection is needed for all victimised folk

Dr Neil Chakraborti tells how changes to hate crime policy will protect people victimised for looking "different"

The news that Greater Manchester Police will now be recording attacks against goths, emos and other members of alternative subcultures as hate crimes has quickly become the subject of extensive debate, taking centre stage in the local, national and even international press.

So why such a fuss?

In one sense I'd like to say it was for positive reasons. People expressing alternative identities, appearances and tastes are routinely subjected to all kinds of prejudice – including being spat at, harassed, called abusive names, bullied and physically attacked – simply for "daring to be different". Recognising this as hate crime will encourage higher levels of reporting and, perhaps most importantly of all, will make people feel safer and less vulnerable.

However, there are some who have been highly critical of this policy change.

Some have asked: are attacks on goths, punks and emos really hate crimes in the same way as attacks on, say, ethnic minorities or gay people? For me – and for anyone else who has engaged with victims of these attacks – violence directed towards people because of how they look or how they dress is just as serious as other more established forms of hate crime.

The physical pain, emotional hurt and the fear of subsequent attack is similar for anyone singled out for being "different". Hate is hate.Equally, concerns this will water down the importance of the concept of hate crime have little justification in practice.

Those who would confine this protection to historically victimised groups fail to recognise targets of hatred evolve with time, place and societal attitudes. Adapting our policies to fit the realities of present-day life is something which invariably strengthens, not weakens, the effectiveness of this protection.

Finally, some suggest that other groups will start lobbying to have their experiences of hate recorded as hate crime. If so, perhaps this is a prospect we should welcome, not fear. Not only might this make us all more aware of bigotry we may not be familiar with, but it might force us to think collectively about how we should challenge these expressions of bigotry.

This move from Greater Manchester Police underlines that no-one should have to suffer being the victim of hate or prejudice. About 260,000 hate crimes are committed each year, according to British Crime Survey estimates, and far too many are unrecognised, unreported and unchallenged. Let's do all we can to respect 'difference' and to stamp out intolerance.

Dr Neil Chakraborti is a Reader in Criminology at the Department of Criminology, University of Leicester. He is the leader of the Leicester Hate Crime Project, Britain's biggest-ever study of hate crime victimisation. For further details visit http://bit.ly/11cTwg5 or contact: uolhatecrime@le.ac.uk

INTERFAITH FORUM FOR LEICESTERSHIRE: HATE INCIDENT MONITORING; ENGAGEMENT & REPRESENTATION OF FAITH COMMUNITIES

At County Hall, Glenfield (seat of Leicestershire County Council), for a meeting of the Interfaith Forum for Leicestershire.

The topic this evening is in two parts: Hate Incident Monitoring and Engagement and Representation of Faith Communities. The former is addressed by Sally Penney, Hate Incident Monitoring Project Co-ordinator at Leicestershire County Council), the latter by Chino Cabon (Senior Race Equality Officer at The Race Equality Centre).

The meeting is opened by Peter Lewis (Chairman of Leicestershire County Council), Chaired by Suleman Nagdi (Spokeman for the Federation of Muslim Organisations) and wound up by Resham Singh Sandhu (Chair of the Sikh Cultural and Welfare Society).

The Interfaith Forum for Leicestershire is less formal in nature than Leicester Council of Faiths, which allows it to be free from the need for formal membership, more open to input from those attending its meetings and more amenable to suggestions from any interested party for future topics.

There are 30 attendees this evening - a decent number for early Monday evening. I can't help wondering, though, if the turnout will have been affected by the fact that the Council of Faiths held our most recent meeting on a very similar topic, less than six weeks back, on Hate Crime and the Criminal Justice System at the University of Leicester. One of this evening's speakers spoke then. It would be a pity if that were so, as the approach taken to the subject this time round could be considered complementary. Chino, who spoke at the earlier meeting, gives a distinctly different talk this evening. There are around 185 hate incidents (which are different in nature from hate crimes) related to religion or belief reported in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. We should continue talking about this subject until that reduces to nothing.

OPEN MEETING: HATE CRIME & CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

This evening the Council of Faiths hosts an open meeting, "Hate Crime and the Criminal Justice System", at the University of Leicester.

This is the fourth in a series of such meetings, on topics of interest to people from all sorts of communities across the city. I've posted on this blog about the three earlier meetings:

• Faith in Family, 20 November 2012
• God in My Faith, 13 March 2012
• Open Meeting with City Mayor, 31 January 2012

Despite extensive preparations for this evening, we haven't produced signage (note to self: do that for any future meetings we hold on campus), and it's easy to miss the entrance to Lecture Theatre 3 in the Ken Edwards Building if you haven't been here before. So I spend the first half hour outside at the top of the pathway, rounding up stragglers. It's cold (the gritters are out already) but worth it, as I redirect more than half a dozen people who appear to have missed the venue - including one of the speakers.

A panel of four distinguished, experienced and knowledgeable speakers have been invited to address the topics of Hate Crime and the Criminal Justice System from their own perspectives (professional and personal), then answer questions from the audience. Each of the speakers had a different perspective to offer (professional and personal) and it would be fair to say that not all of the speakers agreed on how these such crimes - and the underlying attitudes that allow them to persist - are treated in society. But such differences of opinion and approach are aired in a courteous manner and lead to some thought-provoking discussion.

Detective Superintendent David Sandall at the podium

First speaker: Detective Superintendent David Sandall, Head of Safeguarding and Lead for Hate Crime, Leicestershire Police.

Neil Chakroborti at the podium

Second speaker: Neil Chakroborti, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, University of Leicester and Director of the Leicester Hate Crime Project.

Chino Cabon at the podium

Third speaker: Chino Cabon, Senior Race Equality Officer, The Race Equality Centre - demonstrating his mastery of the double karate chop emphasis there.

Luman Ali at the podium

Fourth and final speaker: Luman Ali, Secretary, Federation of Muslim Organisations. Luman stepped in at late notice for Suleman Nagdi, Chair of the Muslim Burial Council for Leicestershire and PR Officer for FMO.

The Rt Revd Tim Stevens, Bishop of Leicester, had accepted the invitation to chair the meeting, but has to withdraw, due to ill health. Tony Nelson, who had taken responsibility for organising the meeting, chaired in Bishop Tim's stead. Tony (who represents the Leicester Hebrew Congregation on Leicester Council of Faiths) is in the centre of the photo below, flanked by the speakers.

There are 50 attendees (not counting the speakers and chair), many of them representing communities, groups and organisations with first hand experience of crimes committed against their members on account of disability, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation among a variety of reasons. More than one person spoke about the effect of belonging to a group which has been unfairly accused of perpetrating hate crime.

Light refreshments are served at the end of the meeting, allowing attendees to mix, mingle and network for a further half hour. Another note to self: take greater care to clean up after eating oily finger food. When putting away our generic pop-up banner, the thing slips from my grasp and takes a bit of a doing, leaving some visible damage. That's the first such hit that any of our banners has taken in more than four years of regular use.

We're grateful to those agencies which backed up this event with their own personnel, resources and time, such as Victim Support, whose display is shown above.

All photos posted here were taken by Ambrose Musiyiwa (Civic Leicester). Ambrose recorded two videos of the proceedings this evening: one of the main presentations by the four speakers and one of the Q&A that followed them. They are now available on YouTube. Our thanks got to Ambrose for his tireless support!

HATE CRIME VICTIM BACKS APPEAL TO REPORT ATTACKS

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Hate crime victim backs appeal to report attack

A transsexual who was punched and knocked unconscious within moments of walking into a pub has spoken out in support of a campaign to highlight hate crime.

Giovanna Del Nord was hit in the head without warning by a stranger as she waited to be served in a pub in central Leicester in October.

The 46-year-old, who moved to the city last year, believes the man attacked her because she is undergoing sex change therapy.

She is a year into a four-and-a-half year course of therapy which will result in a sex change.

She spoke out yesterday at Leicestershire County Council's offices in Glenfield to support a campaign which encourages victims of hate crimes to come forward.

Stop and Tell is highlighting the plight of people who face abuse – physical, verbal or written – because of their race, religion, age, disability or sexuality. It is placing particular emphasis on crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.

Awareness-raising events including displays at libraries and council offices, school assemblies, roadshows and staff training are being held across Leicestershire.

Giovanna said: "I spoke because I wanted to let people know that they should tell the authorities about crimes committed against them.

"What happened to me has happened to many other people but they have never told anyone.

"It is important people who carry out hate crimes are brought to justice."

Between April, 2011, and March, 2012, 631 hate crimes were reported to Leicestershire Police – about 40 against gay people. Attacks on transsexuals were in single figures.

Councillor Joe Orson, cabinet member for safer communities, said: "Incidents of hate should not be tolerated and everyone who lives, works in or visits Leicestershire has the right to be treated with dignity and respect and to live without fear of hatred.

"We believe hate incidents are under-reported by people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered and we hope this campaign will go some way to demonstrate that help, support and advice is available."

Darren Goddard, Leicestershire Police's hate crime officer, urged people to contact the Hate Incident Monitoring Project (HIMP), which is monitoring the extent and nature of such crimes.

He said: "Sadly, incidents of hate often go underreported.

"HIMP is another way for people to report their experiences.

"Working with HIMP enables the police to better protect our communities and ensure those responsible are held to account."

Stop and Tell has been co-ordinated by the county, district and borough councils, Leicester LGBT Centre, police and Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust.

Contact the Hate Incident Monitoring Project on 0116 305 8263 or visit the website below.

Alternatively, visit a council office or library, which are reporting centres for hate incidents.

In an emergency, call 999.

www.leics.gov.uk/reporthate

PUPIL'S LEARN FROM MUM'S ANTI-BULLYING CAMPAIGN

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Pupils learn from mum's anti-bullying campaign

A mother whose daughter was murdered simply because she was dressed as a goth brought her campaign for an end to bullying to Leicestershire yesterday.

Sylvia Lancaster told a group of young people in Loughborough how her daughter, Sophie, was beaten unconscious in a park in Lancashire in August 2007.

Sophie later died of her injuries.

It later emerged the 20-year-old and her boyfriend had been picked out because they were dressed as goths.

Mrs Lancaster's charity, the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, visits schools, youth centres and prisons to tackle the problem of bullying and intolerance among young people.

The campaign, called Sophie – Stamp Out Prejudice, Hatred and Intolerance, Everywhere – came to Loughborough's Limehurst Academy yesterday.

It is the first school in Leicestershire to use an educational pack produced by the charity.

Speaking after she had spent the afternoon with students at the Bridge Street school, Mrs Lancaster said: "After my daughter died I wanted to do something to help prevent anything like this ever happening again.

"The kids at Limehurst were fabulous. They didn't know who I was or what had happened to my daughter until I told them.

"I find young people respond to her story because they know it might have been them, their sister or the girl next door."

All secondary schools in the city and county now have packs, which include a film about Sophie's death and a game which encourages students to examine their preconceptions and prejudices about people who are different to them because of fashion, race, faith, sexuality or disability.

Darren Goddard, Leicestershire Police's hate crime officer, said: "Limehurst Academy does not have a problem with bullying, but I have said to schools that they don't have to have that problem to get involved in a campaign like this.

"It's a very simple message – just because someone doesn't look exactly like you, behave the same or even be able to do things you can do, it doesn't mean they are not a human being.

"It's a message the children can take with them away from school and out into the community."

Sheila Fisher, deputy head of the academy, said: "The message Sylvia brought to the school is very much one we teach every day, but for the students to hear it from someone who has had such a personal experience gave it more resonance."

Teachers from about 40 of city and county schoools attended Leicestershire Police headquarters in Enderby on Tuesday to meet Mrs Lancaster, who still lives in Lancashire, and to learn how to use the pack in their schools.

www.sophielancasterfoundation.com

MEET STEVIE-JADE HARDY, RESEARCHER FOR LEICESTER HATE CRIME PROJECT

This afternoon I'm at the Welcome Centre with Tony Nelson (representative of the Leicester HebrewCongregation on the Board of Leicester Council of Faiths, its Treasurer and my Line Manager). We're meeting Stevie-Jade Hardy, Research Associate at the University of Leicester Department of Criminology.

The Department of Criminology is home to the Leicester Hate Crime Project, a two-year funded project exploring the experiences of victims of hate crime – people who have been victimised simply because of who they are. The |Leicester Hate Crime Project wants to hear from anyone who has suffered from hate crime, including those who have been singled out because of their identity or because they were seen as especially vulnerable or somehow "different’" in the eyes of the person who targeted them. Throughout the duration of the project, the team will be working closely with criminal justice agencies and other service providers collectively to challenge hate and prejudice in Leicester.

In discussing how the Council of Faiths might assist the project, we offer the possibility of one of our Open Meetings early next year taking Hate Crime as its theme. This has definite potential but will need to be refined to make it workable. I'm sure we have not heard the last of this topic - or seen the last of Stevie-Jade!

"STOP ABUSE OF THE DISABLED"

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

"Stop abuse of the disabled"

Police have launched a campaign to protect disabled people from abuse while they are travelling on buses.

Leicestershire's Chief Constable Simon Cole said people with various disabilities have told his officers they are sometimes singled out for abuse on public transport.

Two of Leicestershire's largest bus companies, Arriva and First, have now agreed to display the Stamp It Out campaign poster in their vehicles.

Police hope the posters, which are part of a wider campaign to highlight hate crimes, will encourage victims and witnesses to come forward, to help bring perpetrators to justice.

Mr Cole, who speaks for the Association of Chief Police Officers on disability issues, said: "If you carry out any consultation with people who have disabilities, they will tell you about problems they have experienced on public transport.

"This has a knock-on effect on their lives which the rest of us should be ashamed of.

"Public transport puts people who don't know each other in a confined space and that sometimes leads to incidents.

"This campaign will raise awareness of this issue and encourage people to report any bullying or harassment incidents to us and we will do something about it.

"The campaign is called Stamp It Out for a good reason. There is no place for any form of hate crime in Leicester."

A number of people who use services provided by learning disability charity Mencap attended yesterday's launch in Upper Brown Street, Leicester city centre.

They also spoke of their own experiences of bullying while using public transport.

Darren Bakewell, 48, of Braunstone, Leicester, said: "I was abused on a bus once. A man pushed me off and I fell on the ground.

"I was hurt and didn't know what to do, but a woman who was on the bus and had seen what happened called the police for me.

"The police dealt with him for what he had done to me."

Ranjit Singh, 46, who lives in the Narborough Road area of Leicester, said: "It is important the police take this seriously – everyone should be able to travel on a bus in peace."

Steve Smith, area business manager for Arriva in Leicestershire, said: "We're urging all bus companies, their workers and passengers to be community spirited and report any abuse experienced on buses, whether directed at them or another person."

Deputy city mayor Rory Palmer said: "There is no place for anti-social behaviour on buses or anywhere else.

"Abusive and bullying behaviour will not be tolerated.

"By working together in partnership, across the council, police and transport providers, we will stamp out this unacceptable behaviour."To report hate crime, contact Leicestershire police on 101 or, in an emergency, 999.

Alternatively, you can visit: www.stamp-it-out.co.uk

I posted about my own experience of this launch event on the blog yesterday. I can be seen in the photo above - if you know what you're looking for! 

POLICING IN 2012 AND BEYOND

To Leicester Town Hall early this evening for a public meeting with the Chair of Leicestershire Police Authority (Barrie Roper) and the Chief Constable of Leicestershire Police (Simon Cole). This is the first meeting in a series of four being held in different parts of the force area this month. The remaining meetings (all starting 1800) are:

• Wednesday 25 January, Harborough District Council, Market Harborough
• Monday 30 January, Rutland County Council, Oakham
• Tuesday 31 January, Police HQ, St Johns, Enderby

More than 50 people are gathered in the Council Chamber for the meeting, which is facilitated by Ben Jackson from BBC Radio Leicester.

In general terms, these meetings are being held so that Leicesterhire Police can listen to the public's concerns about the service they provide in these challenging times and so that they can clarify priorities, limitations and pressures and communicate information about new arrangements for policing and governance. Specifically, the meeting addresses two main topics:

• The budget for 2012-13, which will be set next month
• The new post of elected Police and Crime Commissioner

Election of a Police and Crime Commissioner for each police force area in England and Wales outside London will be the most radical change to governance of police in living memory. All the necessary information about this (including qualifications and qualities required of those who are considering standing for election to this post) is available on the Home Office website. The key dates for this process are:

• 15 November: election covering whole force area takes place
• 22 November: newly elected Commissioner assumes duties. Leicestershire Police Authority legally abolished on this date

Leicestershire Police Authority is responsible for managing the transition. Members of the public shouldn't notice the handover.

There are three members of Leicester Council of Faiths present this evening: our Chair, Cllr Manjula Sood; Director Gursharan Kaur Thandi; and Cllr Rashmikan Joshi. All three ask questions from the floor, on topics as diverse as how the ongoing cuts are affecting the daily life of officers on the beat, how the police are addressing religiously motivated hate crime and use of Asian language media outlets to attract wider support for meetings like this. A member of Leicester's Pagan community also spoke about the vulnerability of smaller groups which may be more likely to feel isolated and vulnerable, contrasting the local scene (mostly positive) with the national scene (not so), referring to a number of horse mutilations that have taken place in Cornwall and Wales and have been blamed on "witches".

Chief Constable Simon Cole takes a moment to focus on Hate Crime, with special reference to Leicestershire Police's Stamp It Out! campaign. He tells us that there were 510 recorded Hate Crimes in the force area in 2010, a number which fell closer to 400 in 2011. He reassures us that, "If you commit a Hate Crime in Leicester, Leicestershire or Rutland, we will catch you."

I've been impressed by how Leicestershire Police use social media in their workaday operations. They host frequent webchats, have a well-received and regularly updated Facebook page with over 14,000 likes and a constant flow of interesting and helpful information via several Twitterfeeds. It's a lazy cliche, usually put about by people who don't use social media and don't understand it (and perhaps, are scared by it) that it's a means for spreading misinformation, rumour and panic. In my experience, Leicestershire Police use it to quell those very things and do the opposite: they use social media to keep the public informed and involved. This was particularly the case during the visit of the English Defence League to Leicester in October 2010 and during the one evening when Leicester was brushed by the wave of social disturbances that swept much of England last summer, It's fascinating to see how social media is used at this meeting this evening. Chief Constable Simon Cole presents Leicestershire Police's review of 2011 in a video posted on their YouTube channel. Support staff are tweeting live the headlines from the presentations, then the gist of the Q&A session. As well as disseminating information about what's going on in the meeting, this allows interested parties not present in the room to participate through following the content, tweeting their own comments and questions and retweeting to their own followers. The hashtag for tweets sent from and about this meeting is #chiefandchair. Tweets from this evening's meeting are readable via that hashtag and it will be good for the remaining three meetings too.

INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST HATE CRIME

At Phoenix Square Film and Digital Media Centre this morning, where International Day Against Hate Crime is being marked with an event organised jointly between Leicestershire Police's Stamp It Out campaign and Citizens' Eye Community News Agency.

Here's some information about hate crime, from the Stamp It Out! flyer:

The risk of being attacked or abused on the street, at work or in their own home just because of who they are remains an everyday reality for many people.
Hate Incidents and crimes happen because of hostility, prejudice or hatred of another person because of their actual or perceived disability, gender identity (transgender), race, religion or belief or sexual orientation
No two hate incidents are the same but may include the following:

• verbal abuse and name calling
• physical attack
• graffiti or other deliberate damage to property
• written or recorded threats

These incidents don't just affect the lives of those involved but affect their friends, their families and every part of the local community.
If hate incidents are not reported, then the bullies, bigots and thugs will feel their behaviour is totally acceptable and they they can continue to abuse people whenever they feel like it.
Stamp It Out! is a community-led partnership bringing together different groups and organisations all committed to challenging, tackling and stamping out hate within Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

Assistant Mayor Councillor Manjula Sood, Chair of Leicester Council of Faiths, is among a small number of speakers at the plenary session in Screen 1, the largest of Phoenix Square's three projection spaces. Here we also hear from Simon Cole (Chief Constable of Leicestershire Police), Justin Hammond (Stamp It Out), John Coster and Hollie Sturgess (Citizens' Eye Community News Agency) and Dr Loretta Trickett (Nottingham Centre for the Study of Reduction of Hate Crimes, Bias and Prejudice at Nottingham Trent University). We also watch an amazing video: No Arms No Legs No Worries.

Leicester Council of Faiths is exhibiting in the marketplace in Phoenix Square's reception area and cafe bar. We've done this sort of event here many a time, but this is probably the busiest I've seen it. Many of the displays focus on specific groups who are considered the most common victims of hate crime, whether it's racially or religiously motivated, homophobic, against disabled or older people or women. From the Council of Faiths perspective, I'm especially interested to meet one Jonny Basger, representing Community Security Trust (CST) a national organisation involved in protecting the Jewish community from all forms of antisemitic incidents. I pick up a wealth of printed material from the CST display. I'm particularly impressed by their use of QR codes and smartphone apps.

I've also taking apart today with an eye to activities with the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership (REDP). REDP is planning a regional conference on hate crime in the first half of 2012. I collect as much relevant information as I can and speak to a few exhibitors and attendees about their interest and potential involvement in this forthcoming event. We've got a selection of REDP's leaflets about the Protected Characteristics as defined in the Equality Act 2010 on our display today.

We sign up today to Leicestershire Police's Neighbourhood Link Police Community Messaging System, to receive news, updates and events information. thanks to Steve Hastings, Communications & Engagement Co-ordinator, for signing me up as "single point of contact" for the Council of Faiths, quickly and painlessly. We both noted, during the signup process, that there's no faith-related category for this service (e.g. in terms of events, incidents or premises. Steve said he'd bring that to the attention of his superiors and see what could be done.

The event is still going on at 1330, when I have to leave in order to get to the Towers for a meeting with Abida Hussain (Equality & Human Rights Officer for the Integrated Equality Service, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust). John Coster offers to tidy up our exhibition, so I can collect it later in the afternoon.

A WELCOME VISITOR

Having been at my desk in the Welcome Centre since early this morning, I'm surprised to hear a very light tapping on the door around 0845. I open the door to Irene Zempie, who introduces herself as a Research Student and Tutor at the University of Leicester, Department of Criminology.

We sit and chat for half an hour or so; Irene's unexpected visit reveals itself to be a piece of serendipity. She tells me that her specialist area of research is that of harassment, persecution and victimisation of Muslim women who wear the niqab in public. She has been struggling to obtain local contacts who would be willing to help with her research and just happened to be on her way to a volunteering appointment at Victim Support (our next door neighbours in Bishop Street) this morning when she saw the big poster in the window of our downstairs office, which led her to come upstairs and knock on our door.

Irene's work is highly relevant to recent discussions I've been having with some of our partner groups and organisations in the city in relation to the forthcoming International Hate Crime Day (Friday 28 October), which will be marked with a day-long event at Phoenix Square Film and Digital Media Centre. In exchange for advising her about local contacts who can help with her research, Irene may be able to assist us on 28 October. I look forward to us being able to come to a mutually beneficial arrangement - watch this space.

Human Rights & Equalities Charnwood AGM

At Loughborough Town Hall this evening, in the Council Chamber, for the AGM of Human Rights & Equalities Charnwood. Here I run into some of those whom I see at various events and occasions around the region, whom I've come to consider dependable colleagues.

Speaker for the evening is Dave Thomas, Headteacher at Ashmount School, Loughborough, which serves students with special educational needs. He makes a special feature of the use of "Keep Safe" cards, which have helped young people with special learning needs in the local area (and in various parts throughout the country, where the scheme has been trialled) become more confident in social situations that they might otherwise have found tricky and which have previously resulted in police involvement. Nice to see something that works and makes a positive difference.

I was hoping to put up a banner for the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership, but it wouldn't have been appropriate in this setting. It's not nice if it looks like you're crashing someone else's party. But of course I do get the chance to talk with several people about REDP, including Councillor Jill Vincent, Mayor of Charnwood. She was at the AGM of the Faiths Forum for the East Midlands in Loughborough University last week, but I didn't have the opportunity to speak with her then. Before leaving for the train back to Leicester, I get the chance to talk openly to all attending about the possibilities of joined up working between REDP and HR&EC, especially around the topic of Hate Crime.

Find out more about Equalities & Human Rights Charnwood:
http://humanrightsandequalitiescharnwood.aj-services.com/

Find out more about Ashmount School:
http://www.ashmount.leics.sch.uk/

SAFER LEICESTER PARTNERSHIP

At Leicester City Council (Block B, New Walk) this afternoon, for a meeting of the Safer Leicester Partnership Board. This body focuses on crime (or, more especially it's prevention and reduction). I represent the Equality and Diversity Partnership (EDP) here - and, of course, speak up for the Council of Faiths and its interests when appropriate. In that capacity, I have a special interest in hate crime. The central feature of today's meeting is a presentation of the Safer Leicester Partnership's Delivery Plan 2010-11. This is led by two representatives of the Leicestershire Constabulary. It's a very dense sort of presentation, in the sense of being tightly packed with information - the kind of thing that's hard to grasp and respond to at this one sitting.

There's someone here (sitting immediately to my right) from the Audit Commission, who gives a preliminary (and generally positive) response to the Delivery Plan. It's hot in this room, my side of the table is bathed in direct sunlight and it's just after lunch. I'm conscious of a few moments of gonking; I hope the fellow from the Audit Commission didn't spot that.