Aishah Ali

Hate crimes in the West Midlands with a racial element and hate offences with a religious strand dramatically increased following the Paris terror attacks.

West Midlands police recorded 127 hate crimes, a 30 percent rise, in the two weeks after the Paris atHate crimes in the West Midlands with a racial element and hate offences with a religious strand dramatically increased following the Paris terror attacks.tacks on November 13 last year. Moreover, hate offences with a ‘religious strand’ dramatically increased by 50 percent from November 14 to 27.

The figures also revealed that hate crimes which were specifically directed against Islam sharply escalated over 50 percent in the two weeks after Paris terror attacks.

Commenting about the figures, Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson told the Express and Star: “I am committed to tackling hate crime and bringing hidden crimes out into the open.”

He added that he will consider the possibility of launching a hate crime helpline: “My Victims Commission includes representatives from Stop Hate UK and I am looking into the feasibility of operating a hate crime helpline across the region.

“There are also 188 third-party reporting centres across the West Midlands where people can report the crimes if they don’t want to go to the police.”

In November 2015, Express & Star had received over 1,300 reports about crimes at places of worship in the West Midlands. The crimes included arson and criminal damage, theft and violence against individuals.