We are deeply concerned by the Metropolitan Police’s recent decision to stop investigating non-crime hate incidents. This change risks allowing hate and harm to escalate unchecked - and will only deepen the LGBT+ community’s lack of trust in the force.

Non-crime hate incidents are a vital early warning tool. They help to monitor hate-motivated harassment, which has the potential to become a serious crime. By publicly announcing the decision to stop investigations, the Met is sending the message that hate-motivated incidents towards minoritised communities are less serious.

Non-crime hate incidents were introduced as a direct response to the institutional failures surrounding the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence. Numerous inquests have noted that the failure of police to recognise repeated hate incidents - such as not responding to escalating harassment or patterns of hostility linked to prejudice - has resulted in preventable deaths.  

LGBT+ victims of crime have the lowest level of trust and confidence in the Met Police, according to their own recent findings. We fail to see how this decision will help to rebuild that trust and encourage our community to seek help for anti-LGBT+ hate.

If the Metropolitan Police want to rebuild trust with the LGBT+ community, they must implement a clear process for monitoring non-crime hate incidents as a matter of urgency. Recognising patterns of hate before they escalate could save lives, and signals that minoritised communities in London deserve to be protected.