Galop reacts to news Met Police will cease investigations into non-crime hate incidents
Galop, the UK’s national LGBTQ+ anti-abuse charity, has reacted after the Met Police announced it will no longer investigate non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs), a move it says will allow officers to focus on criminal offences and reduce ambiguity in policing. The decision follows the controversial arrest and subsequent release of Father Ted creator Graham Linehan, who was detained at Heathrow Airport in September over social media posts about trans issues.
A spokesperson for the Met said the force “doesn’t believe officers should be policing toxic culture war debates,” and that the change would “provide clearer direction for officers” and enable them to concentrate on matters that meet the threshold for criminal investigations.
Non-crime hate incidents are defined as acts perceived to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards protected characteristics - such as race, religion, or gender identity - but which do not meet the legal threshold for a criminal offence. They were introduced following the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry to help identify patterns of hate that could escalate into serious harm.
While the Met will continue to record NCHIs for intelligence purposes, the decision to stop investigating them has drawn sharp criticism from advocacy groups, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community.
This change risks allowing hate and harm to escalate unchecked - and will only deepen the LGBTQ+ community’s lack of trust in the force.
Galop, the UK’s national LGBTQ+ anti-abuse charity, expressed deep concern over the announcement. In a statement, the organisation said: “This change risks allowing hate and harm to escalate unchecked - and will only deepen the LGBTQ+ 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 more 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.”
“LGBTQ+ 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-LGBTQ+ hate.”
Galop has called on the Met to urgently implement a clear process for monitoring NCHIs, warning that recognising patterns of hate before they escalate “could save lives”.
