London Race Hate Crime Forum

Purpose
Background
Structure
Annual Reports
Reports
Press releases
Contact details

Purpose

The London Race Hate Crime Forum (RHCF) aims to improve the co-ordination between the key agencies responsible for dealing with victims of race hate crime and to improve the effectiveness with which perpetrators of race hate crimes are brought to justice. Its overall purpose is to help reduce and prevent race hate crimes, improve the confidence and satisfaction of victims in reporting crimes, and to promote consistent service across London.

Background

The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report referred to the gaps in co-operation, sharing of information and learning between agencies. It recommended developing a multi-agency response to race hate crimes. Many years on from Stephen’s murder, London has responded with a capital-wide forum, to build upon the many local responses and the priority that race hate crimes are increasingly given by individual agencies.

Several years ago the MPA set up a working group to consider the Lawrence Report’s recommendation. Representatives from over thirty agencies encompassing the statutory and voluntary sectors, local and London-wide, attended working group meetings to discuss London’s multi-agency response. It also carried out some initial analysis of arrangements, strategies and practice in London, which confirmed the need for closer co-operation, information sharing protocols, and the spreading of best practice between agencies. From this, the working group recommended a membership structure and terms of reference for a permanent Forum. Most importantly, the working group, in establishing a new Forum, wanted to ensure London has a publicised, mutually agreed, jointly-run Forum to provide leadership and guidance on race hate crimes. To disseminate its work, the Forum aims to establish a close working relationship with London’s Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships.

The chair of the working group and member of the MPA, Peter Herbert, stated, ‘the legacy of Stephen Lawrence will remain with many of us for years to come in many positive ways. I’m confident the London Race Hate Crime Forum will positively contribute to ridding London’s streets of acts and attitudes of racism, by making sure responsible agencies no longer ignore, isolate and only involuntarily deal with cases of race hate crime’.

Structure

The Forum was officially launched at the House of Commons in May 2003. A Project Manager was appointed in April 2004 to support the Forum’s meetings and carry out developmental work on behalf of the forum.

The Forum currently has a varied membership including the MPS and MPA, the Greater London Authority, the Crown Prosecution Service, as well as local authority and central government representatives. This is in addition to organisations involved with victims, the criminal justice system, housing services, relevant research, and black and minority ethnic communities. The Forums meetings are open to the public and all interested parties are welcome to attend.

RHCF - presentations timetable
For a list of meeting dates, venues and proposed presentations
RHCF - terms of reference
RHCF - scrutiny of boroughs

Annual Reports

Reports

Other information of interest may be found on the Equality and Diversity Board pages

Date	No	Title
2007
06 Dec	Report 14	Report to EODB - sub-groups Race Hate Crime Forum
04 Oct	Report 14	Report to EODB - Update on MPS Violent Hate Crime Strategy
12 Jul	Report 13	Report to EODB - London Race Hate Crime Forum Annual Report
01 Jan		Evaluation of the London–wide Race Hate Crime Forum as a model of good practice between statutory Criminal Justice Agencies and Voluntary Sector Non- Governmental Organisations (pdf)
Date	No	Title
2006
07 Sept	Report 13	Report to EODB - Race Hate Crime Forum conference
Date	No	Title
2005
06 Oct	Report 13	Report to EODB - Race Hate Crime Forum
07 Jul	Report 12	Report to EODB - London-wide Race Hate Crime Forum
10 Mar	Report 11	Report to EODB - Update of the work of the Race Hate Crime Forum
Date	No	Title
2004
04 Nov	Report 10	Report to EOBD - Race Hate Crime Forum update
20 May	Report 10	Report to EODB - Race Hate Crimes Forum
Date	No	Title
2003
16 Oct	Report 12	Report to EODB - Race hate crimes forum
17 Jul	Report 11	Report to EODB - Race Hate Crimes Forum
01 May	Report 15	Report to EODB - Race Hate Crimes Working Group
Date	No	Title
2002
28 Nov	Report 15	Report to EOBD - Establishment of MPA pan-London Race Hate Forum

London RHCF press releases

Date	No	Title
2005
16 Nov 05	RHCF 08	Race hate crime: a problem for society
08 Nov 05	RHCF 07	Race hate crime: a problem for society
21 May 05	RHCF 06	London-Wide Race Hate Crime Forum voices concern at rise in attacks on Jewish communities
13 May 05	RHCF 05	Operational note: London-Wide Race Hate Crime Forum meets Barking & Dagenham and Havering Boroughs
2004
21 Sep 04	RHCF 04	London-wide Race Hate Crime Forum raises serious concerns about Newham
02 Mar 04	RHCF 03	Race Hate Crime concerns in the capital
2003
13 May 03	RHCF 02	Correction to press notice LRHCF 01 - "London-wide Race Hate Crime Forum House Of Commons launch"
13 May 03	RHCF 01	London-wide Race Hate Crime Forum House Of Commons launch

Contact details

For further information on the London RHCF please contact:

Bennett Obong
Project Manager
Tel: 020 7202 0147
Email: bennett.obong@mpa.gov.uk
Michael Wadham
Race Hate Crime Forum Administrator
Tel: 020 7202 0145
Email: michael.wadham@mpa.gov.uk

Or write to:

Race Hate Crime Forum
Metropolitan Police Authority
10 Dean Farrar Street
London
SW1H 0NY

Fax: 020 7202 0200
Minicom: 020 7202 0173