Big rise in hate crimes since latest London terrorist attack. Police makes 25 arrests

London sees a rise in hate crimes since the terrorist attack on 3 June and Police has made at least 25 arrests for hate crime offences since the three attackers killed eight people. According to provisional statistics for 6 June, there was a 40 per cent increase in racist incidents, compared to the daily average this year, and a fivefold increase in the number of Islamaphobic incidents. This is the highest daily level of Islamophobic incidents in 2017 to date, and higher than recorded levels following the Paris attacks in November 2015 and the murder of Lee Rigby in May 2013.

Chief Superintendent Dave Stringer, Head of Community Engagement for the Metropolitan Police, said in a statement that since the recent attack in London the number of officers on the streets and in communities has been increased in order to reassure local people that they are able to go about their daily lives in peace and without fear of harassment or intimidation.

“Dedicated ward officers have also made contact with their local places of worship to encourage them to report hate crimes and to reassure those who congregate there that the police will take these crimes seriously. The Metropolitan Police has made 25 arrests for hate crime offences since Saturday,” Stringer said.

The Metropolitan Police says it anticipated that incidents in the UK similar to terrorist attacks in Europe in recent years may lead to a greater need to support communities that are more vulnerable to becoming victims of hate crime.

“All hate crimes are reviewed by a Detective Inspector and the MPS has also increased specialist investigators within the 32 London borough community safety units by 30 per cent, with more than 900 specialist members of staff dedicated to investigating all hate crime and domestic abuse crimes. We have long since recognised the impact of hate crime on communities and the hidden nature of this crime, which remains largely under-reported. The MPS stands together with policing partners, colleagues and groups to investigate all hate crime allegations, support victims and their families, and bring perpetrators to justice,” Stringer added.

In 2015/16, there were 62,518 offences recorded by the police in England and Wales in which one or more hate crime strands were deemed to be a motivating factor. This was an increase of 19 per cent compared with the 52,4651 hate crimes recorded in 2014/15.

Sadiq Khan: ”Zero tolerance”

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today warned that the police will take a ‘zero-tolerance approach to hate crime’ as the latest statistics show a significant spike in incidents of hate crime and Islamaphobic incidents in the aftermath of the London Bridge attack.

Khan called on all Londoners to report any hate crimes of any kind they witness to the police, and warned: “If you commit a hate crime, you face arrest.”

He said that ”one of the greatest things about London is our defiant unity in the face of adversity – and that will not change in the aftermath of this horrific attack.”

“Just as the police will do everything possible to root out extremism from our city, so we will take a zero-tolerance approach to hate crime. If you witness a hate crime please report it to the police. If you commit a hate crime, you face arrest. I’m calling on all Londoners to pull together, and send a clear message around the world that our city will never be divided by these hideous individuals who seek to harm us and destroy our way of life. London will never be cowed or divided by terrorism.” he stated.