The Conservative Party has proposed a new amendment to the government's Crime and Policing Bill that would significantly restrict police officers from recording “non-crime hate incidents” (NCHIs). This move represents a marked shift in how these incidents, which are currently logged even when they do not constitute criminal offences, would be handled in future.
Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative minister, announced the policy change, stating that officers should only be permitted to record NCHIs in exceptional cases where a senior officer deems the information essential for preventing or solving crimes. NCHIs are described as events perceived to be motivated by prejudice based on aspects such as race, gender, and other protected characteristics, even if they do not meet the threshold of a criminal offence.
The concept of recording NCHIs was introduced following recommendations from the 1999 Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, with the Home Office explaining that this practice helps police forces monitor potential escalations in harm or heightened community tensions. Despite this rationale, Mrs Badenoch criticised the current approach, saying such recordings have resulted in “wasted police time chasing ideology and grievance instead of justice.” She further argued that officers were distracted by “trawling social media for things someone might find offensive” rather than focusing on “fighting crime and protecting families.”
In a statement reported by The Independent, Mrs Badenoch said: “No wonder public trust in the police is falling. People see officers distracted from real threats and politicians too scared to act. Keir Starmer needs to stop hiding behind weasel words. Stand up, show some courage, and back real policing over political correctness. If Labour were serious about the violence in our towns and cities, they’d back our amendment and fix this.”
The current guidelines, revised by the Conservative government in 2023, instruct police not to record the identity of an alleged offender unless there is a real risk of “significant harm” or the potential for a future criminal offence. Additionally, officers are advised against recording NCHIs if the complaint is deemed “trivial” or was not motivated by “intentional hostility or prejudice.” Data obtained under freedom of information laws last year by the Daily Telegraph indicated a slight decline in the number of NCHIs since 2021.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, who served as policing minister when the revised 2023 guidelines were introduced, also spoke in support of the Conservative amendment. He described current recording practices as “Orwellian nonsense” and emphasised that the proposed amendment would allow police to focus on “fighting real crime,” underscoring the party’s commitment to “free speech” and “common sense.”
This proposed legislative change is expected to prompt debate on the role of police in monitoring hate-related incidents that do not amount to criminal offences, balancing public safety concerns with policing priorities. The amendment will be tabled for consideration as part of the ongoing Crime and Policing Bill discussions in Parliament.
Source: Noah Wire Services