Dyfed-Powys Police is calling on the public to help them stamp out hate crime, in spite of a report showing a fall in these offences.

The Home Office’s Overview of hate Crime in England and Wales showed that the number of hate crimes recorded in the Dyfed Powys area fell from 114 in 2011/12 to 91 the following year. While the figures have been welcomed, Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Carl Langley has asked the public and community groups to work with the force to report hate crime, whatever form it takes.

“Singling out someone because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender or because they suffer from a disability is cowardly and simply unacceptable. People from these groups can feel a real sense of isolation and vulnerability and we are committed to doing all we can to prevent them from becoming victims or bring those responsible to justice where offences are committed,” he said.

Between April and the end of November, the number of reported hate incidents in the force were static at 155. During the same period, the number of reported hate crimes had shown another significant fall from 72 last year to 56 in 2013. But as T/DCC Langley stressed, the force is far from complacent.

“Back in October we held our annual Hate Crime Conference which once again was highly successful. Many of those attending the event were our trained Hate Crime Support Officers (HCSOs). These are officers or Police Crime Support Officers in your local community who have volunteered to become HCSOs over and above their daily duties.”

“These officers provide a dedicated and premium service to anyone becoming a victim of hate crime. I believe it is absolutely vital that these victims get the right level of support when they need it and these officers and PCSOs are there to do just that.”

“If you become a victim of hate crime or know someone who has been, please come forward and report it. If you don’t feel comfortable in making a report to your local police, you can make the report to a third party such as Safer Wales, True Vision or Mencap. If you want to find out more, please log onto our website www.dyfed-powys.police.uk or call the Diversity Team on 101,” he said.

Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner Christopher Salmon said:“Protecting vulnerable people is a priority for me and the Chief Constable. I want to ensure that such issues are dealt with early to prevent abuse escalating.”

“The awareness of vulnerable people in our communities must be improved and those in need must be supported appropriately.”