Organisers of this year’s Pride festival join forces with Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC), Katy Bourne, to help make Sussex #NoPlaceForHate.
In the run-up to this year’s event themed ‘Freedom to Live’, pubs and bars in St James’s Street, which are part of the Pride Village Party, will be using specially designed beermats to help publicise the Self Evident hate crime reporting app. The beermats all have a QR code on the back that, when scanned, quickly downloads the app onto the customers’ smartphones.
Commenting on Pride’s support for the campaign, Director Paul Kemp, said: “Pride is delighted to be involved in this important campaign which, given recent events like Orlando, could not have come at a better time.
“As with the theme of this year’s festival, everyone has the right to enjoy the same freedoms irrespective of their race, faith, sexuality, gender or disability. However, many of those from marginalised communities do not have the same confidence in the police and this is why we support the self evident app which allows victims of hate crime in Sussex to access help and support without involving the authorities. “
Mrs Bourne said: “I am delighted to have the support of the Pride organisers as well as the pubs and bars in St James’s Street in order to help make Sussex #NoPlaceForHate.
“We are launching the campaign on Wednesday (27 July) which is ten days before Pride. Over the course of the ten days we will be uploading a series of short videos and images featuring our hate crime mascot, Missy The Dog, to Facebook and Twitter. These fun videos and images will also be used to launch my PCC Instagram page @sussexpcc.
“Like many, I have no time for bigotry and believe that no one should be singled out and victimised because of their race, faith, sexuality, gender or disability. Although there are some light-hearted elements to the campaign with the use of images and videos of Missy to encourage the download of the app it does however send out a very serious message: that hate crime will not be tolerated in Sussex.
“I am looking forward to this year’s Pride event and hope that lots of people visit our stall in Preston Park where we will be promoting the Self Evident app with a variety of fun merchandise, including a selfie frame, temporary tattoos and flags. You’ll find us next to Sussex Police so please come and say hello.”
The Self Evident crime reporting app is a piece of smart technology developed by the social enterprise, Just Evidence. With financial backing from the PCC, the app now offers enhanced functions for tackling hate and enables victims to seek help directly from specialist support services as well as the police. The app’s ability to record, store and validate video, audio and photo evidence makes it particularly useful for anyone who witnesses or experiences hate and other crimes.
Guy Dehn, Director of Just Evidence, said: “We are committed to giving people practical tools to turn the tables on crime and injustice. With Katy Bourne giving a lead nationally and support from local events like Pride, we are confident the app can help make Sussex #NoPlaceForHate.”
