Leeds Hate Crime Strategy 2025 to 2028

Contents

• Foreword
• Executive summary
• Definitions
• Reporting a hate crime
• Background and context
• Our ambition
• Our priorities
• Delivery and governance

Foreword

Leeds is a city built on diversity, strength and inclusivity. As one of the fastest-growing cities in the UK, it is home to a rich tapestry of communities, cultures and identities. The city includes over 140 recognised ethnic groups, a wide range of languages, and residents of many faiths, nationalities and sexual orientations. This diversity is one of our greatest assets and helps define Leeds as a welcoming, outward-looking and forward-thinking city.

Despite the progress we have made in tackling hate crime, we know there is more to do. Hate incidents can have devastating effects on individuals and communities, eroding trust, creating division and undermining the values that bind us together.

That’s why we remain resolute in our Leeds Ambitions. We want our city to be healthy, growing, thriving and resilient. Ambition is something we understand well in Leeds. It runs through our communities, businesses and public institutions. Ambition has defined the character of Leeds across its history, sometimes attainable, often challenging, but the drive to succeed and feel pride in our city is something you can sense every day you spend here. 

The Thriving ambition directly supports work around hate crime by promoting safe, cohesive communities where everyone feels they belong. The Healthy and Growing ambitions also align with efforts to support victims, reduce barriers, and ensure inclusive access to justice and services.

The Leeds Hate Crime Strategy 2025 to 2028 sets out our collective commitment to tackling hate in all its forms. It builds on the progress of the previous strategy and reflects the voices of those with lived and professional experience. It outlines how we will work together to prevent hate crime, improve how it is reported and responded to, and provide accessible, trauma-informed support to victims.

Tackling hate crime is a shared responsibility. Through our strong partnerships, particularly within Safer Leeds, we will take practical, visible action to challenge hate and promote respect in every part of our city.

This strategy is not just about policy. It is about people. Every resident of Leeds has the right to feel safe in their home, workplace and community.

We urge every resident, organisation and community to stand with us in this commitment. By working together, we can ensure that Leeds is a place where everyone is valued, respected and safe.

- Councillor Asghar Khan
- Executive Member for Communities, Customer Services, and Community Safety - Leeds City Council

- Chief Superintendent Steve Dodds
- Leeds District Commander - West Yorkshire Police

Executive summary

Leeds is a city defined by its diversity, resilience, and commitment to inclusion. The Hate Crime Strategy 2025 to 2028 sets out a renewed and collective ambition to tackle hate in all its forms, ensuring that every resident feels safe, valued, and respected.

Building on the successes and lessons of the 2021 to 2024 strategy, this new approach is shaped by extensive consultation with communities, partners, and stakeholders. It responds to emerging challenges, including rising hate incidents linked to global events, and aims to strengthen Leeds’ position as a city of sanctuary and solidarity.

Our ambition

To make Leeds a city where hate is not tolerated, victims are empowered and supported, communities stand united against hate, and all residents feel safe, valued and respected in their homes, on the streets, and in the places they go.

Our priorities

To achieve this, the strategy focuses on 5 strategic priorities:

1. Building our understanding: using data, research and community insight to better understand how hate happens and who is affected.
2. Preventing hate crime: tackling the root causes of hate through education, awareness and early intervention.
3. Increasing the reporting of hate crime: removing barriers and encouraging people to report with confidence.
4. Responding to hate crime in our communities: delivering fast, coordinated and visible responses that rebuild trust and hold offenders accountable.
5. Improving support for victims: providing accessible, trauma-informed care and ensuring services reflect victims’ needs and experiences.

Delivery and governance

Implementation will be overseen by a Strategic Board on Cohesion, supported by a multi-agency delivery plan and quarterly progress reporting. Key partners include Leeds City Council, West Yorkshire Police, Stop Hate UK, and a wide network of community safety and third-sector organisations.

This strategy aligns with broader city ambitions, ensuring a joined-up approach to safety, inclusion, and community wellbeing.

Definitions

Non-crime hate incident

Any incident where a crime has not been committed, but where it is perceived by the reporting person or any other person that the incident was motivated by hostility or prejudice based on: 

• a person’s race or perceived race 
• a person’s religion or perceived religion
• a person’s sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation
• a person’s disability or perceived disability
• a person who is transgender or perceived to be transgender

Hate crime

A hate crime is any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on:

• a person’s race or perceived race 
• a person’s religion or perceived religion
• a person’s sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation
• a person’s disability or perceived disability
• a person who is transgender or perceived to be transgender

These definitions are based on the 1999 Stephen Lawrence Inquiry report.

Reporting a hate crime

In Leeds, you can report a hate crime to Leeds City Council, West Yorkshire Police, Stop Hate UK or one of our Third-Party Hate Incident Reporting Centres. For more information, or to report a hate crime, please visit Report a hate crime or incident.

Background and context

Hate crimes deeply affect individuals and communities, causing fear, division, and long-term harm. In a city as diverse and inclusive as Leeds, where residents identify with a broad range of ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender identities, disabilities, faiths and other protected characteristics, such crimes undermine the values we stand for.

Leeds Hate Crime Strategy 2021 to 2024

The Leeds Hate Crime Strategy 2021 to 2024 was developed by Safer Leeds and partner organisations with the goal of addressing hate crime through a set of targeted initiatives across Leeds. Focused on 5 core priorities, this strategy aimed to both prevent hate crime and support affected individuals while improving overall community cohesion and safety. 

Key achievements include:

Raising awareness

Delivered campaigns to highlight hate crime, promote reporting, and challenge discrimination.

• Provided training for council staff and partner organisations.
• Launched a new hate crime newsletter to keep partners informed of ongoing work.
• Enhanced the quality and accessibility of hate crime information on the council’s website.

Improving reporting

• Introduced an updated hate incident reporting system for schools.
• Increased the number and improved the effectiveness of Third-Party Reporting Centres and Signposting Centres.

Supporting communities

• Delivered targeted initiatives to combat anti-Muslim prejudice and antisemitism.
• Initiated work to address misogyny, recognising its impact despite it not being a legally defined hate crime category.

Despite progress, hate crime remains a significant issue in Leeds. Data from 2021 to 2024 shows that race-based incidents are the most common type of hate crime in Leeds. There has also been an increase in antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice over this period. Rises in hate crimes have been linked to political or international events, such as the Middle East conflict and nationwide riots, highlighting the need for us to develop a proactive and flexible approach.

New strategy consultation and development

New challenges and emerging trends highlight the need for a refreshed strategy to be developed every 3 years. This strategy has been shaped through broad consultation with stakeholders and the feedback we collected has been vital in defining the strategy's priorities and actions:

• Informal consultation: conducted during Hate Crime Awareness Week and at various meetings and engagement events. These consultations reached a diverse range of protected characteristic groups. Short, targeted questions were used to gather initial feedback.
• Formal consultation: a comprehensive survey was used to consult with key partners and professionals within a Strategic Board on Cohesion, the Hate Crime Operational Group and the Leeds Third-Party Reporting Centres Network. This process focused on structured input, identifying challenges, and areas for improvement against each of the 5 priorities of the previous strategy.
• Data analysis: data from key hate crime performance reports, localities reports, and the 2024 LGBT+ Community Safety Survey was also vital to inform the strategy and corresponding delivery plan.

Ongoing partnership working and readiness

The approach to preventing and responding to hate crime continues to evolve. Strong partnerships allow for more collaboration, effective responses to incidents, and greater community safety and support. Key partners include:

• Safer Leeds 
• Leeds City Council
• West Yorkshire Police
• Health Care Providers
• Education Providers
• Transport Providers
• Stop Hate UK
• Victim Support
• Education Providers
• Third Sector Partners

Related workstreams

The Hate Crime Strategy 2025 to 2028 is closely aligned with a wide range of strategies and plans that support Leeds’ ambition to be a safe, inclusive, and cohesive city. It reflects a whole-council and city-wide approach, ensuring that work to tackle hate crime is embedded across all services and sectors.

The strategy is designed to complement and reinforce related work across Leeds City Council and its partners, including in areas such as Education, Housing, Safeguarding, Transport, Children’s Services, and Community Engagement.

Our ambition

To make Leeds a city where hate is not tolerated, victims are empowered and supported, communities stand united against hate, and all residents feel safe, valued and respected in their homes, on the streets, and in the places they go.

This ambition reflects our shared belief that no one should face abuse, discrimination or violence because of who they are. Everyone in Leeds should be able to live their life free from prejudice and hate. 

Our approach recognises that people may face multiple and overlapping forms of discrimination. These intersecting experiences can shape how hate crime is experienced, perceived and reported, and must be reflected in our services and responses.

The strategy sets out how we will work together to make this ambition a reality. Achieving this goal will require strong leadership, practical action, and lasting cultural change. It also means listening to communities and building trust through visible progress. 

The priorities, commitments and outcomes that follow are designed to move us from ambition to action.

Our priorities

1. Building our understanding of hate crime

What we will do

We will increase our understanding of how hate crimes happen and emerging hate trends, so that we can take targeted action and create evidence-based solutions.

How we will do it

• Research emerging hate crime trends: Work closely with West Yorkshire Police, Prevent, and Anti-Social Behaviour teams to explore new and evolving forms of hate, such as online abuse and misogyny, and understand who is most affected and in what settings.
• Analyse hate crime data by location: Regularly review hate crime data to identify high-risk areas such as schools, neighbourhoods, and workplaces, and use these insights to inform targeted, place-based responses.
• Collaborate with key partners: work with universities, service providers, and community organisations to share knowledge, co-produce research, and close gaps in understanding across sectors and communities.

Desired outcomes

• Develop a stronger understanding of hate crime patterns and root causes in Leeds.
• Shape more effective prevention and intervention strategies through evidence-based insights.
• Strengthen trust and collaboration between statutory partners, academic institutions, and communities.

How we will know we’ve made a difference

• Regular data reports published and shared.
• Evidence of targeted interventions informed by research.
• Positive feedback from partners and communities.

2. Preventing hate crime

What we will do

We will address the root causes of hate crime through education, awareness, and early intervention to challenge harmful behaviours and misinformation.

How we will do it

• Promote community cohesion: support inclusive events, interfaith dialogue, and neighbourhood engagement that bring together people from different backgrounds to build relationships and strengthen trust across communities.
• Expand education and training programmes: work with schools, colleges, universities, and public sector partners to deliver training on hate prevention and inclusive behaviours that promote respect and empathy.
• Develop public campaigns and messaging: coordinate targeted communications using trusted community voices to challenge discrimination and misinformation in public spaces, workplaces, and online environments.

Desired outcomes

• Reduce harmful attitudes and discriminatory behaviours that contribute to hate crime.
• Empower the public to challenge hate through greater awareness and inclusion.
• Strengthen community resilience against misinformation and online harm.

How we will know we've made a difference

• Increased participation in community cohesion events.
• Positive feedback from education and training evaluations.
• Monitoring shows reduction in harmful online narratives.

3. Increasing the reporting of hate crime

What we will do

We will remove barriers to reporting hate crime and encourage individuals, particularly in marginalised communities, to report incidents confidently.

How we will do it

• Promote diverse reporting options: raise awareness of the different hate crime reporting routes, ensuring services are accessible, visible, and designed to build trust across diverse communities.
• Work with housing providers to tackle hate and ASB: strengthen joint responses to hate incidents and anti-social behaviour by aligning procedures, building staff awareness, and promoting a shared message on the importance of reporting.
• Engage underrepresented communities: focus outreach efforts on groups known to underreport hate crime, with clear, culturally sensitive information and trusted ways to access support.

Desired outcomes

• Increase public confidence in and understanding of how to report hate crime.
• Boost reporting across all communities, particularly among underrepresented groups.
• Improve service planning and responses through more comprehensive data.

How we will know we’ve made a difference

• Quarterly data shows increase in reports from underrepresented groups.
• Improved satisfaction scores from victims using reporting services.
• Enhanced service planning based on comprehensive data.

4. Responding to hate crime in our communities

What we will do

We will deliver effective, timely, and coordinated responses to hate crime, ensuring communities are supported and offenders are held accountable.

How we will do it

• Deliver fast, joined-up responses: coordinate timely, multi-agency responses to hate crime that avoid duplication, ensure consistent support, and demonstrate shared accountability.
• Support understanding of hate crime outcomes: provide clear, timely explanations to victims and affected communities about how hate crime decisions are made, including when incidents do not meet the legal threshold.
• Strengthen community reassurance and deterrence: increase visible presence and engagement from police and partners in areas affected by hate crime, helping to support communities, rebuild confidence, and prevent repeat incidents.

Desired outcomes

• Deliver timely and effective responses to hate crime that build public trust.
• Increase public awareness and confidence in how the justice system handles hate crime.
• Enhance offender accountability and strengthen deterrence against hate crime.

How we will know we’ve made a difference

• Reduced repeat incidents in targeted areas.
• Positive community feedback on reassurance measures.
• Improved case closure times and transparency.

5. Improving support for victims of hate crime

What we will do

We will provide holistic, trauma-informed, and accessible support for victims, ensuring their voices are heard and their needs are met.

How we will do it

• Ensure accessible and tailored support: provide timely and appropriate support for victims of hate crime, with clear pathways into services that reflect individual needs and circumstances.
• Embed trauma-informed practice across services: work with partners to embed trauma-informed approaches into all victim-facing services, ensuring consistent, compassionate support for those affected by hate.
• Adopt a victim-led approach: involve victims in shaping and improving hate crime services, using their lived experience to inform delivery, build trust, and drive meaningful change.

Desired outcomes

• Ensure victims feel supported, understood, and able to shape the services they use. 
• Increase trust in reporting systems and post-incident care.
• Improve long-term resilience and recovery for those affected by hate crime.

How we will know we’ve made a difference

• Victim feedback shows improved satisfaction.
• Greater uptake of support services.
• Evidence of victim input shaping service improvements.

Delivery and governance 

The implementation and progress of the Hate Crime Strategy will be overseen by the Strategic Board on Cohesion, chaired by the Executive Member for Communities, Customer Services, and Community Safety.

The strategy will be underpinned by a multi-agency delivery plan, designed to monitor the delivery of hate crime work in line with the strategy’s five key priorities and desired outcomes. Each of the 15 actions across these priorities will be assigned a domain lead or leads, who will provide quarterly progress updates. These updates will feed into the Hate Crime Operational Group (HCOG) and inform quarterly reports to the HCSB, ensuring both accountability and strategic direction.

Success will be measured through quarterly updates against delivery milestones, partner feedback, and improvements in local hate crime reporting and satisfaction data.

Ultimately, the success of this strategy will contribute to the wider aims of Safer Leeds, the city’s Community Safety Partnership.

To ensure transparency and public engagement, the strategy will be published on the Leeds City Council website.