Latest news with #NCHIs
BBC News
22-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Tories push to ban recording of non-crime hate incidents
The recording of non-crime hate incidents by police forces should be scrapped in all but a few cases, the Conservatives have party will try to amend the government's Crime and Policing Bill to ban forces from logging such incidents, except in limited leader Kemi Badenoch said non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs) had "wasted police time chasing ideology and grievance instead of justice".But Policing Minister Diana Johnson said the plan was "unworkable" and "would prevent the police monitoring serious antisemitism and other racist incidents". NCHIs are defined as alleged acts perceived to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards people with certain characteristics, such as race or are recorded to collect data on "hate incidents that could escalate into more serious harm" but do not amount to a criminal offence, according to Home Office guidance on the recording of NCHIs was first published in 2005, following recommendations by an inquiry into the murder of Stephen marks 33 years since he was murdered in a racially motivated attack in south-east Tories said it was not intentional that their announcement came on the anniversary. NCHIs are not recorded nationally by a single source and not all police forces publish data on the number of incidents they year, the Telegraph newspaper reported that 43 forces in England and Wales had recorded more than 133,000 non-crime hate incidents (NCHI) since 2023, the Conservative government changed the guidance on the recording of new guidelines said officers should consider whether a complaint was "trivial" or if the incident was motivated by "intentional hostility or prejudice". At the time, shadow home secretary Chris Philp was policing minister and in a statement to MPs, he said: "If someone is targeted because of hostility or prejudice towards their race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity, and the criteria in the code are met, the incident can and should be recorded as a non-crime hate incident."But the Conservatives under Badenoch's leadership are saying the "use of NCHIs has spiralled out of control".The party said under its plans, only senior officers would be allowed to record NCHIs in clearly defined circumstances, such as the prevention or investigation or actual crimes."The British public want police on the streets - fighting crime and protecting families - not trawling social media for things someone might find offensive," Badenoch said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer needed to "stand up, show some courage, and back real policing over political correctness".Policing minister Diana Johnson said the Tories had "14 years in charge of policing to set priorities or make policy changes in this area, and failed to do so".She added: "Instead of introducing unworkable and half-baked measures which would prevent the police monitoring serious antisemitism and other racist incidents, the Tories should support the Labour government's prioritisation of neighbourhood policing and serious violence."A Reform UK spokesman said: "The Tories had 14 years in government to do this, instead we saw non-crime hate incidents surge under their watch."Reform are clear, we want to get more bobbies on the beat and put an end to two-tier policing in Britain. Police forces across the country should be focussed on solving real crimes, not policing social media posts."The BBC has approached the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party for comment. Policing and crime are among the issues political parties have been campaigning on ahead of next week's local elections in an interview with the BBC, Badenoch said the Tories were bracing for a tough set of defended her leadership of the Conservatives and insisted she would not be swayed by internal criticism about the amount of policy she had announced so far."It's really important that we take time to get things right - rebuild trust with the public and have a credible offer," Badenoch said. POSTCODE LOOKUP: Check if there is an election in your areaSIMPLE GUIDE: Everything you need to know about the local electionsGET IN TOUCH: Tell us the election issues that matter to youFULL COVERAGE: Catch up on all our election stories
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The police must fight crime, not legal speech
The UK is supposed to be the home of free speech – and a country where the police chase criminals, not law abiding members of the public. So I was horrified, last November, when police officers called on Telegraph journalist Allison Pearson. It was initially believed that they were investigating a so-called non-crime hate incident (or NCHI), based on a comment she'd posted on social media. In my view the police should have only one overriding priority: catching criminals and protecting the public from crime. This emphatically does not extend to acting as the thought police or intervening when someone makes an off colour remark online. People are perfectly entitled to say whatever they like, including things that are offensive, provided that they are not illegal. These boundaries are set out by Parliament in law. It's illegal to incite racial or religious hatred, express support for a proscribed terrorist organisation such as Hamas or to use threats or intimidation to harass someone. But saying that women don't have penises, criticising a religion or simply saying something offensive are not illegal. It follows that people should not be harassed or investigated by the police for any of these things. And yet they are. Police investigated and recorded personal data on around 13,000 NCHIs last year – taking up around 30,000 hours of police time. This personal data – where no crime has been committed – is then potentially disclosable by the police as part of an enhanced criminal record check for years to come. NCHIs were never legislated for by Parliament. They were created through police guidance in the early 2000s in response to the murder of Stephen Lawrence and further entrenched in 2014. The inquiry into Stephen Lawrence's murder found that the previous extreme racism exhibited by his killers should have been identified and his death thereby prevented. Where hatred is such that it is a likely to lead to an actual crime, then there is a good case for police taking an interest – as they would in relation to any intelligence that might be a precursor to criminal activity. But over the years, NCHIs have expanded beyond all recognition and have strayed far from this original intention. Reporting in the Telegraph only yesterday showed that the police now don't even bother to analyse NCHIs for patterns of possible criminality. NCHIs have been investigated and personal details recorded over the most absurdly trivial things. This has included singing a song with the word 'Africa' in the lyrics; commenting on EU citizens working here; a mobility scooter being ridden on a pavement; commenting on the trans debate; an intemperate email sent between family members and even playground arguments between children. It is clear the police are now wasting colossal amounts of their time on NCHIs and infringing our ancient rights to free speech while they do so. In 2023 while in government, Conservatives introduced tighter rules on NCHIs to try to stop this abuse. But a report by HM Inspector of Constabulary in September 2024 found that the new rules were being ignored: the Police had simply carried on as before. I have raised this in Parliament over recent months and it's clear that the Labour government has no real intention of fixing this problem. This is why the Conservatives are now announcing a new policy: NCHIs as a category of incident should be scrapped in their should only investigate or record something where it is likely to be genuinely necessary to prevent or investigate crime. This will free up tens of thousands of hours of police time to catch real criminals and help restore free speech. Instead of policing Twitter, police should spend more time catching burglars and mobile phone thieves. The Conservatives will table this as an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill currently going through Parliament and will force a vote. Then it will be clear which MPs are willing to stand up for common sense, getting police priorities straight and for free speech – and which MPs are not. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
The police must fight crime, not legal speech
The UK is supposed to be the home of free speech – and a country where the police chase criminals, not law abiding members of the public. So I was horrified, last November, when police officers called on Telegraph journalist Allison Pearson. It was initially believed that they were investigating a so-called non-crime hate incident (or NCHI), based on a comment she'd posted on social media. In my view the police should have only one overriding priority: catching criminals and protecting the public from crime. This emphatically does not extend to acting as the thought police or intervening when someone makes an off colour remark online. People are perfectly entitled to say whatever they like, including things that are offensive, provided that they are not illegal. These boundaries are set out by Parliament in law. It's illegal to incite racial or religious hatred, express support for a proscribed terrorist organisation such as Hamas or to use threats or intimidation to harass someone. But saying that women don't have penises, criticising a religion or simply saying something offensive are not illegal. It follows that people should not be harassed or investigated by the police for any of these things. And yet they are. Police investigated and recorded personal data on around 13,000 NCHIs last year – taking up around 30,000 hours of police time. This personal data – where no crime has been committed – is then potentially disclosable by the police as part of an enhanced criminal record check for years to come. NCHIs were never legislated for by Parliament. They were created through police guidance in the early 2000s in response to the murder of Stephen Lawrence and further entrenched in 2014. The inquiry into Stephen Lawrence's murder found that the previous extreme racism exhibited by his killers should have been identified and his death thereby prevented. Where hatred is such that it is likely to lead to an actual crime, then there is a good case for police taking an interest – as they would in relation to any intelligence that might be a precursor to criminal activity. But over the years, NCHIs have expanded beyond all recognition and have strayed far from this original intention. Reporting in the Telegraph only yesterday showed that the police now don't even bother to analyse NCHIs for patterns of possible criminality. NCHIs have been investigated and personal details recorded over the most absurdly trivial things. This has included singing a song with the word 'Africa' in the lyrics; commenting on EU citizens working here; a mobility scooter being ridden on a pavement; commenting on the trans debate; an intemperate email sent between family members and even playground arguments between children. It is clear the police are now wasting colossal amounts of their time on NCHIs and infringing our ancient rights to free speech while they do so. In 2023 while in government, Conservatives introduced tighter rules on NCHIs to try to stop this abuse. But a report by HM Inspector of Constabulary in September 2024 found that the new rules were being ignored. The Police had simply carried on as before. I have raised this in Parliament over recent months and it's clear that the Labour government has no real intention of fixing this problem. This is why the Conservatives are now announcing a new policy: NCHIs as a category of incident should be scrapped in their entirety. Police should only investigate or record something where it is likely to be genuinely necessary to prevent or investigate crime. This will free up tens of thousands of hours of police time to catch real criminals and help restore free speech. Instead of policing Twitter, police should spend more time catching burglars and mobile phone thieves. The Conservatives will table this as an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill currently going through Parliament and will force a vote. Then it will be clear which MPs are willing to stand up for common sense, getting police priorities straight and for free speech – and which MPs are not.
Western Telegraph
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
Tories call for ban on recording ‘non-crime hate incidents'
Kemi Badenoch said her party would put forward an amendment to the Government's Crime and Policing Bill banning the practice, except where a senior officer thought the information would assist in the detection or prevention of a future crime. NCHIs are record incidents that do not count as crimes but are perceived to be motivated by hatred towards certain characteristics such as race or gender. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said her party would put forward an amendment to the Government's Crime and Policing Bill (Joe Giddens/PA) According to the Home Office, they allow forces to monitor incidents that 'could escalate into more serious harm or indicate heightened community tensions', and were introduced following recommendations by the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry in 1999. Tuesday marks 33 years since Stephen Lawrence was murdered in a racially motivated attack in south-east London. But Mrs Badenoch said NCHIs had 'wasted police time chasing ideology and grievance instead of justice' and suggested officers were 'trawling social media for things someone might find offensive' rather than 'fighting crime and protecting families'. Keir Starmer needs to stop hiding behind weasel words. Stand up, show some courage, and back real policing over political correctness Tory Party leader Kemi Badenoch She said: 'No wonder public trust in the police is falling. People see officers distracted from real threats and politicians too scared to act. 'Keir Starmer needs to stop hiding behind weasel words. Stand up, show some courage, and back real policing over political correctness. 'If Labour were serious about the violence in our towns and cities, they'd back our amendment and fix this.' In 2023, the Conservative government changed the guidance on NCHIs so that the identity of someone alleged to have carried out an offence only be recorded if there was a real risk of 'significant harm' to individuals or groups, or of a criminal offence being committed in future. Our amendment will stop police forces from wasting time on this Orwellian nonsense and get them back to doing the job the public expects: fighting real crime. The Conservative Party will always stand up for free speech, common sense Shadow home secretary Chris Philp The new guidelines also instructed officers not to record an NCHI if the complaint was 'trivial' or the incident was not motivated by 'intentional hostility or prejudice'. The number of NCHIs appears to have fallen slightly since 2021, according to figures obtained last year by the Daily Telegraph under freedom of information laws. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp, who was policing minister when the new guidelines were introduced, said: 'Our amendment will stop police forces from wasting time on this Orwellian nonsense and get them back to doing the job the public expects: fighting real crime. 'The Conservative Party will always stand up for free speech, common sense.' Instead of introducing unworkable and half-baked measures which would prevent the police monitoring serious antisemitism and other racist incidents, the Tories should support the Labour Government's prioritisation of neighbourhood policing and serious violence Policing minister Diana Johnson Policing minister Diana Johnson said: 'The Tories are all over the place. They had 14 years in charge of policing to set priorities or make policy changes in this area, and failed to do so. 'The shadow home secretary was the policing minister who said just two years ago that 'if someone is targeted because of hostility or prejudice towards their race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity the incident can and should be recorded as a non-crime hate incident'. 'Instead of introducing unworkable and half-baked measures which would prevent the police monitoring serious antisemitism and other racist incidents, the Tories should support the Labour Government's prioritisation of neighbourhood policing and serious violence.'
Telegraph
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Time to end the thought police madness
The UK is supposed to be the home of free speech – and a country where the police chase criminals, not law-abiding members of the public. So I was horrified, last November, when police officers called on Allison Pearson, a Telegraph journalist, who initially believed that they were there to investigate a non-crime hate incident (NCHI) based on a comment she posted on X. In my view the police should have one over-riding priority: catching criminals and protecting the public from crime. This emphatically does not extend to acting as the thought police or intervening when someone makes an off-colour remark online. People are perfectly entitled to say whatever they like, including things that are offensive, provided that they are not illegal. These boundaries are set out by Parliament in law. It is illegal to incite racial or religious hatred, express support for a proscribed terrorist organisation such as Hamas or use threats or intimidation to harass someone. But saying that women do not have penises, criticising a religion or simply saying something offensive is not illegal. People should not be harassed or investigated by the police for any of these things. And yet they are. Police investigated and recorded personal data on around 13,000 NCHIs last year – taking up about 30,000 hours of police time. The police could then potentially disclose your personal data as part of an enhanced criminal record check for years to come – even where no crime has been committed. NCHIs were never legislated for by Parliament. They were created under police guidance in the early 2000s in response to the murder of Stephen Lawrence, and became further entrenched in 2014. The inquiry into Lawrence's murder found that the extreme racism previously exhibited by his killers should have been identified, which could have prevented his death. Where hatred is such that it is likely to lead to an actual crime, then there is a good case for police taking an interest – as they would in relation to any intelligence that might be a precursor to criminal activity. But over the years, NCHIs have expanded beyond all recognition and have strayed far from this original intention. On Sunday, The Telegraph revealed that police forces do not even bother to analyse NCHIs for patterns of possible criminality. NCHIs have been investigated and personal details recorded over the most absurdly trivial things. This has included singing a song with the word 'Africa' in the lyrics; comments about EU citizens working in the UK; a mobility scooter being ridden on a pavement; comments about trans debate; an intemperate email sent between family members and even playground arguments between children. It is clear the police are now wasting colossal amounts of their time on NCHIs and infringing our right to free speech while they do so. In 2023, the Conservative government introduced tighter rules on NCHIs to try to stop this abuse. But a report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in September 2024 found that the new rules were being ignored – the police had simply carried on as before. I have raised this in Parliament over recent months and it is clear that the Labour Government has no real intention of fixing this problem. This is why today the Conservatives are announcing a new policy. NCHIs as a category of incident should be scrapped in their entirety. Police should only investigate or record something where it is likely to be genuinely necessary to prevent or investigate crime. This new approach will free up tens of thousands of hours of police time to catch real criminals – and help restore freedom of speech. Instead of policing social media, police should spend more time catching burglars and mobile phone thieves. We Conservatives will table this as an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill currently going through Parliament and will force a vote. Then it will be clear which MPs are willing to stand up for common sense, getting police priorities straight and for free speech – and which MPs are not.
