Gwent Police awarded new trustmark following work on victims’ charter

Gwent Police has been recognised by Victim Support for taking steps to improve its response and support to victims and witnesses of hate crime.

The force has been awarded a new trustmark, provided by the independent charity Victim Support.

This week is Hate Crime Awareness Week, an opportunity for us to show the ways we support victims of hate crime and work with communities to eliminate it. 

Deputy Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman said:

“Hate crime is something that can affect many different parts of our communities.

 “It’s a crime that often doesn’t leave a physical scar, but can cause significant harm so it’s important that victims know we take these reports seriously.

 “I encourage anyone who’s experienced this to come forward, report it, directly to us or one of our partner organisations so that we can give you the support you need.”

Recently Gwent Police introduced a new service within Connect Gwent that provides support to victims and witnesses of crime. The Victim Care Unit ensure that victims receive timely information and support from their first report all the way through their criminal justice journey.

Already this service has helped many, including victims of hate crime. This is in addition to the 40 hate crime support officers specially trained to respond to reports of hate crime.

Jessica Rees, Wales Hate Crime Manager for Victim Support said:

“We’re pleased that Gwent Police have taken steps to achieve Victim Support’s Hate Crime Charter Trustmark and are continuing to develop their services to show their commitment.

 “We recognise the deeply personal impact hate crime can have and how that can affect someone’s feeling of safety and sense of self. 

“We encourage anyone who has experienced or witnessed hate crime to come forward and gain access to support to help you move forward.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Jeff Cuthbert said:

“Hate crime of any kind will not be tolerated in Gwent. It is a horrible, complex offence and can leave victims dealing with physical and emotional damage for many years. 

“We have been previously been praised by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services for our work on hate crime, and this latest recognition shows that we continue to work hard to improve services for victims of this appalling crime.” 

As part of Hate Crime Awareness Week, Gwent Police has released a promotional video encouraging everyone to celebrate the difference in each other, and encouraging ways to report crime to the police.

If you either witness or are a victim of crime, please report it.

You can call Gwent Police directly on 101, report via the website or message on social media. In an emergency always dial 999.

You can also contact Report It Wales, a service run by Victim’s Support.