A £2.4m funding scheme for places of worship will provide security measures and equipment for sites that need increased protection, says the Home Office. The Government says that representatives from religious communities have raised concerns about crimes which range from graffiti to arson attacks. The scheme will be open for bids for ten weeks. This has been announced by new Home Secretary Amber Rudd as part of a ‘hate crime action plan’, developed the Home Office says with communities and departments across government.
For more on the funding for places of worship, in England and Wales, not including schools, visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/places-of-worship-security-funding-scheme. Bids opened on July 26 and run to September 20. The Jewish community will be exempt from this scheme as a similar commitment was made to fund Jewish community sites through a grant administered by the Community Security Trust (CST).
To make a bid, you have to fill in an assessment form and provide three quotes from approved (such as NSI or SSAIB) security installers. The bid form asks for evidence that security is required, such as insurance claims or photos of damage. Places of worship will need to contribute 20pc of the total costs and work must be done by March 2017. For details email [email protected].
Home Secretary Amber Rudd said: “This government is determined to build a Britain that works for everyone. Those who practise hatred send out a message that it’s okay to abuse and attack others because of their nationality, ethnicity or religious background. That it’s okay to disregard our shared values and promote the intolerance that causes enormous harm to communities and individuals. Well, I have a very clear message for them. We will not stand for it. Hatred has no place whatsoever in a 21st century Great Britain that works for everyone. We are Great Britain because we are united by values such as democracy, free speech, mutual respect and opportunity for all. We are the sum of all our parts – a proud, diverse society. Hatred does not get a seat at the table, and we will do everything we can to stamp it out.”
She has urged more victims of hate crime to come forward, so that the full scale of the challenge facing communities can be understood and tackled. For Action against Hate, the 40-page document that sets out the Government’s plan of actions to deal with hate crime until May 2020 (covering only England and Wales), visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hate-crime-action-plan-2016.
As that document sets out, according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, there were an estimated 222,000 hate crimes on average each year from 2012-13 to 2014-15. This represents a decrease of 56,000 since the previous period covered by the survey. However, the Home Office does admit under-reporting is likely. The document also points to hate crime on public transport and in the night-time economy.
Police view
National Operational Police Lead for Protect and Prepare, the Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said: “There is no specific intelligence relating to attacks against the Christian community in the UK. However, as we have seen, Daesh and other terrorist groups have targeted Christian as well as Jewish and other faith groups in the West and beyond. Following recent events in France, we are reiterating our protective security advice to Christian places of worship and have circulated specific advice today. We are also taking this opportunity to remind them to review their security arrangements as a precaution.
“This is part of our ongoing work with faith organisations, as well as other sectors, to help ensure the safety and security of their staff, visitors and members. While the threat from terrorism remains unchanged at severe we urge the public to be vigilant. Be alert and not alarmed and report any suspicious activity via the anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789321. In an emergency always dial 999.
“The UK police service is working tirelessly with our partners to confront the threat and protect all our communities. All of our safety and security advice is available at the National Counter Terrorism Security Office website www.gov.uk/nactso.”
On hate crime generally for the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Lead for Hate Crime, Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton said: “We will work with others across the criminal justice system to support the Home Office’s new action plan to stamp out hate crime. We urge victims to report any incidents that challenge the diverse society we live in.
“Over recent years, we’ve worked hard to encourage people to report hate crime and improve our response to victims. As a result, we are seeing significant rises in reporting of hate crime and there were 12,845 convictions last year, which is a 4.7pc increase on the previous year. We carefully analyse hate crime data each year to ensure that progress in terms of reporting and prosecutions continues.
“We are currently working with the CPS and forces to make sure police gather the best evidence we can to ensure as many perpetrators as possible receive a robust response and enhanced sentencing. As with all crimes, it will never be possible to take all reports through to prosecution because there may not be enough evidence or victims may not want to pursue to charge.“
