Police in Castleford are launching an operation to combat racist abuse. Plain clothes officers from minority ethnic backgrounds will be out on foot on in all areas of Castleford.
The officers will be selected from other areas of the District and Force so that they will not be recognised locally as police. The Castleford Neighbourhood Police Team (NPT) have been working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to ensure that the opportunities to prosecute are maximised with quality evidence.
Inspector Ian Williams of Castleford NPT said, "It is important not only that we look after the interests and welfare of minority groups in the community but are seen to do so.
"The majority of Castleford and Airedale residents are from a white background so I can understand how people from these groups can feel intimidated. We take all hate crime very seriously but it is often difficult to get victims to come forward and give evidence. This pro-active approach to dealing with such incidents protects the victims from having to do so."
"These operations will continue for as long as it takes to get the message across that this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated. I am hoping that by taking a direct approach, more victims will come forward to tell us about the abuse they have suffered. It is vital that people from minority groups have confidence in the ability of the police to deal with their concerns."
Gaynor Zeki, Community Prosecutor for West Yorkshire said, "Hate crime of any kind is abhorrent, whether it is based on race, disability, gender or sexual orientation. The CPS will prosecute these cases robustly and vigorously.
“If a case has hate crime elements in addition to other offences, CPS prosecutors will bring this to the Court’s attention so that it can be taken into account at sentencing. This is very likely to result in an increase in the offender’s penalty.
If you have suffered from or witnessed any type of hate crime whether it is as a result of race, disability, sexuality or religion you can get in touch with Castleford NPT on 01924 206210 or anonymously at crimestoppers on 0800 555111
