Pop-up hate crime reporting centre coming to Marlands Shopping Centre in Southampton

06 October 2021

The Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office have teamed up with the Southampton Hate Crime Network, Restorative Solutions, the Victim Care Service and Hampshire Constabulary to bring a pop-up hate crime reporting centre to the middle of Southampton during this year’s National Hate Crime Awareness Week.

On Saturday, 9 October, from 10am to 4pm shoppers and residents will be able to find out more about hate crime, how to report it, and the support that is available to victims. People will be able to talk to support agencies and get help with reporting their own experiences. The event will take place in an unused shop on the ground floor of Marlands Shopping Centre.

Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said: “Being a victim of crime has a huge impact on a person’s life often for months and years to come. For crimes that are motivated by hate, knowing that you are being targeted because of who you are, where you come from, what you believe in or the way you look, the impact can be much worse, it can really affect a person’s sense of identity and belonging to society.

“I commission a number of services that provide support to victims, including the Victim Care Service, and I encourage anyone who has experienced hate crime to seek help and report their experience to either a third party reporting centre or the police. These organisations will do all they can to get you the justice you deserve, the support you need, and will be with you every step of the way.”

There are currently more than 50 TPRCs across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, including Citizens Advice Bureaus and the Victim Care Service, who offer a safe space for victims to talk about their experience to trained advisers and counsellors and receive peer support for their specific situation.

For those interested in more detailed information there will be a programme of short informative talks throughout the day: