Plan to ease hate crime reporting

A project to make it easier for hate crimes to be reported in Cumbria is being extended.

Third Party Reporting Centres were set up in Carlisle, Appleby and Penrith in August 2007.

Now the scheme is being extended to the west of the county, including centres in Allerdale and Maryport.

It allows victims, witnesses or third parties to report crimes relating to race, religion, sexuality or disability in a safe, neutral environment.

They can either complete a form at centres, with trained staff to hand, or take it away to fill in elsewhere.

Trained staff

New outlets are being established at offices used by Allerdale and Copeland Borough Councils, housing associations such as Derwent and Solway, Gay Cumbria and Maryport Multi-Cultural drop-in centre.

A Cumbria Police spokeswoman said: "Specially-trained staff deal with third party reports in a manner that will ease any apprehension which victims or witnesses may have in making such reports.

"They can also provide support, advice and potentially act as a link between victims and police. It is hoped this will encourage even more victims and witnesses of crime to come forward."

Insp Joe Murray added: "We rely on members of the public to report crimes to us and provide information to help us tackle crime.

"Third party reporting will greatly assist the police in determining as clear a picture as is possible of the true nature of incidents of hate crime in West Cumbria and allow us to put in place strategies to prevent and deter offenders."