Libraries Unlimited say No to hate crime

It is part of our six core purposes to offer welcoming spaces, and to support people to connect to the wider world.

It is perhaps no surprise then that we were pleased to sign Devon’s ‘Zero Tolerance to Hate Crime’ Pledge.

Launched by Devon and Cornwall Police in late 2016, the Pledge has spread across Devon gaining increasing support, as individuals and organisations of all sizes make visible their support and aim to send a powerful message that hate is not tolerated in Devon.

A hate incident is any situation where the victim feels the motivation was prejudice or hatred of a particular factor. A hate crime is when the incident constitutes a criminal offence. This could be targeting the individual themselves, their families or their property. These factors would include:

Anyone that feels they are a victim of a hate crime are encouraged to report this to the Police. This can be done directly via the Police website or phone, or via a third party reporting organisation. Staff in all libraries can help provide computer access if you need to report such an incident. Remember if you or someone else is in immediate danger, or the crime is happening right now, this is an emergency and you need to call 999.

All libraries across Devon will soon be displaying posters showing their stance of zero tolerance to hate crime. We want all our library users to know they are in a safe space and are welcome. We say “No” to hate crime.