Police leaders to recommend scrapping non-crime hate incidents to focus on serious offences
Police leaders are set to recommend scrapping the recording of non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs) as part of a review to be published next month. The College of Policing chair, Lord Herbert, states the new approach would focus only on the most serious incidents to rebalance the system for the social media age.
NCHIs refer to acts motivated by hostility toward certain characteristics that do not meet criminal offence thresholds but are still recorded to collect data on incidents that could escalate into more serious harm. Home Office guidance mandates NCHIs to gather data on potential escalation; however, critics argue that recording them wastes police resources and restricts free speech. Additionally, NCHIs remain on police records and can appear in background checks.
The practice of recording NCHIs began in 2005 following the Stephen Lawrence inquiry. Lord Herbert contends that the rise of social media has resulted in monitoring online disputes rather than genuine crimes, and police do not wish to police tweets.
The Home Secretary will decide whether to adopt the recommendations following the College of Policing and National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) review. The Home Office aims to ensure a consistent approach that protects free speech and will not pre-empt the findings of the review. According to The Telegraph, only the most serious category of incidents would be recorded if changes are implemented. Last year, 43 police forces across England and Wales had recorded more than 133,000 NCHIs since 2014.
