Criminal hate speech
this is a type of what?
a hate crime
this includes offences such as:
* offensive language
* intimidation
* harassment
* harmful digital communication
all of the above have a perceived prejudice against someone’s race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or age.
Hate Crime
Human Rights Act 1993
Section 131
as well as being a hate crime, criminal hate speech could be classified under the above act as what?
‘inciting racial disharmony’
Hate Crime
is ‘hate crime’ an offence?
it is not an offence in itself, rather, the hate motivation for the offence is an ‘aggravating factor’ that may be taken into consideration at sentencing.
Hate Crime
The Sentencing Act 2002
section 9(1)(h)
‘states the court must take ‘aggravating factors’ into account when considering sentencing for any offence that is motivated by:
hostility towards a group of persons who have an enduring common characteristic such as:
* race
* colour
* nationality
* religion
* gender identity
* sexual orientation
* age, or
* disability; and
-the hostility is because of this common characteristic; and
-the offender believed that the victim has that characteristic
Hate Crime
The Sentencing Act 2002
section 9(1)(h)
what is needed to facilitate the use of the above act?
Hate Incident
Police definition
Non-criminal incident
(any report to Police that does not meet a criminal threshold)
+
Actual or perceived hostility or prejudice towards the person’s protected characteristic such as:
(race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age)
Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992
Purpose of the Act
Missing Person
Categories?
Missing Person
Concerns for Welfare
definition
although there may not be immediate fears for the person’s safety, there may be genuine concerns for their welfare due to:
* age: elderly people living alone, teenage runaways
* circumstances: recent trauma, relationship or employment problems
* influences: drugs, gangs, alcohol
Missing Person
definition
Z.A.C.
Missing Person
Fears for safety definitions
Missing Persons
Initial action
Establish the type of enquiry you are dealing with, in some cases there will be unusual, dangerous or suspicious circumstances that will dictate action required.
Missing Persons
Located missing person
If the person is located enter the details of:
* date & time
* place & circumstances in which they were found
If you locate a missing person or receive information that a missing person has been located, verify the info and ensure it is accurate
* visit located person, ask about circumstances around disappearance
* if it’s a child, look for child abuse indicators and consider referral to OT
* update NIA with reason for going missing
* remove alert from NIA and update any media broadcasts
* advise informant the person has been found
Missing Persons
Located missing person - voluntarily missing
If you locate a person who is ‘voluntarily’ missing, Police will respect the right of that individual no to be reunited with their family or associates, unless the missing person is a child or young person under 16.
Police will not disclose their location but should confirm to the person’s family that the missing person is safe and well and is no longer considered missing.
Non-criminal hate speech
‘awful but lawful’
this is a type of what?
a hate incident
it happens online and offline, it can start as an online hate incident and the move into the ‘real’ world as a hate crime
Responding to hate crimes & hate incidents
what 4-step process can we do?
Compulsory Treatment Patients
patients of this category who is absent without leave or fails to comply with an order may be apprehended and…
returned/taken to hospital
if apprehended within three months of going missing
The patient is deemed to be released from their CTO if absent for more than three months
Compulsory Treatment Patients
they are deemed to be released from their CTO if absent for more than
3 months
After this timeframe a new assessment must be completed
Duly Authorised Officers
DAO
Qualified mental health clinicians who have specialised in the area of mental health and receive further training on an ongoing basis
Hate Crime
Police definition
Offence
(e.g. assault, harassment, offensive language or wilful damage etc)
+
Actual or perceived hostility or prejudice towards the person’s protected characteristic such as:
(race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age)
If you are called to a private address, you may enter only:
MH (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992
‘Mental Disorder’
definition
an abnormal state of mind (whether of continuous or intermittent nature) characterised by:
delusions, or disorders of mood, perception, volition or cognition of such degree that it:
* poses a serious danger to the health and safety of that person or of others, or
* seriously diminishes the capacity of that person to take care of themself
MH (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992
Police Role
people with a mental illness generally come to your notice in the following ways:
MH (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992
Primary Police Role
to ensure the safety of that person and the safety of the public if necessary