Victim of a hate crime in London? There’s an app for that
It’s now easier than ever to report homophobic hate crime in London, after the Mayor of London helped launch a new smartphone app service.
From today, iPhone and Android users can use the existing SelfEvident app to record and report hate crime in the city, and take advantage of specialised features that integrate with police in London.
The new services were launched for National Hate Crime Awareness Week via Mayor of London’s Office for Policing And Crime.
It enables victims to immediately report an incident, with the information going directly to the Police via a secure server. Users can also upload photographic and video material as part of their report, providing the option to submit a verbal statement or footage of the incident.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Crimes committed simply because of who a victim is have no place in our society.
“They must never be tolerated and anyone who suffers should receive support as quickly as possible. We’ve already seen a rise in reporting, which is important to help the police do their job, and I am very pleased we have been able to launch this app.
“It will help increase reporting even further, boosting confidence, reducing repeat offences and helping victims get the support they need.”
Developed with the Metropolitan Police and local community groups, the app provides information and access to support services to help victims, and offers the option for those who do not wish to report to the police to log the incident or seek help through Victim Support.
Commander Mak Chishty, Metropolitan Police Service, Hate Crime lead said: “Hate Crime remains hugely under-reported and the new app makes it easier for people to report incidents. We want to safeguard victims and bring offenders to justice.
“We urge victims not to suffer in silence, they should speak out, report incidents as soon as possible.
“In an emergency, victims should call 999. We have over 900 specialist Police officers in Community Safety Units dedicated to investigating all hate crime and domestic abuse. We take all hate crime seriously, it should not be tolerated; if you can’t report it to police, seek advice from a third party organisation.”
Dave Rich, Deputy Director of Communications at Community Security Trust said: “We hope that this new app will give victims and witnesses the confidence to report hate crimes and make it easier for offenders to be prosecuted.”
