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Equality for Everyone

Posted on 16 April 2020

A group of four CAHR students, Louise Sloan, Tom Beetles, Mir Ali and Rebecca Byard, collaborated with the North Yorkshire Police on a research project aimed at identifying causes of under reporting of hate crime in the Selby district in North Yorkshire.

The project was also meant to provide recommendations for the implementation of the new ‘Equality for Everyone’ scheme. Neighbourhood Policing Officer Martin Wedgwood and Chair of the Selby Equality Network Chris Hailey-Norris launched ‘Equality for Everyone’ in October 2019, after becoming concerned that hate crime was under-reported in Selby. Made up of 10 volunteers, the scheme aims to provide an alternative reporting mechanism for anyone who has experienced discrimination or hate crime. The volunteers can offer advice and support and act as a liaison with the police. Read about their experience below:

We gathered data through an online survey and interviews. The online survey was administered to residents of Selby and aimed to collect information on personal experiences and perceptions of hate crime. We were able to gather almost 200 responses. We also conducted interviews with people who work closely with the local community, including police officers and members of the Equality Network, to identify their views on the issues. After analysing the information collected from both the surveys and the interviews, we identified suggestions of underlying intolerant attitudes which may be causing some individuals to face discriminatory behaviour, including hate crimes, on a regular basis. We were able to conclude that under-reporting of hate crime is likely due to misunderstandings about hate crime and the role of police in investigating these incidents. This information was included in a report which we delivered to the North Yorkshire Police. They have expressed gratitude for our research and are keen to use the report to guide future work. 

The research took a lot of hard work, especially as we used two different methods of data collection. However, it was a great opportunity to develop new skills such as learning about ethical principles, analysing quantitative and qualitative data and communicating with a wide range of stakeholders to collect information. All team members feel very proud to have been part of a project which will hopefully make a difference to the lives of people in Selby.