Report It! was set up by the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender) Community Safety Forum in 2014 with supportive funding from the Police & Crime Commissioner’s Safer in Sussex Community Fund (SiSCF).
THE aim of the project is to make it easier for members of the LGBT community to report a crime and get the help and support they need.
Billie Lewis, Chair of the Forum said: Report It! is not just about hate crime, although that is its primary aim. Members of the community are also encouraged to use it as an anonymous, third-party reporting mechanism for incidents of lower-level harassment or abuse. Many such incidents have until now been shrugged off and not reported because the person being targeted thought nobody else, including the authorities, would be interested or supportive.
“The LGBT Safety Forum is a non-profit organisation and staffed by volunteers and so we were delighted to receive a grant from the SiSCF to help with the Report It! project. The funding also allowed us to run a personal safety and self-awareness class tailored to the specific needs of the LGBT community.”
Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner, Katy Bourne, said: “We need projects like “Report It” in order to empower those communities who may feel marginalised. I want every Sussex resident to feel confident and safe irrespective of who they are or what their background is.
“Many minority groups have not always had trust in the police. Recent figures show a 40% rise in the number of hate crimes recorded between 2013 and 2014 in Brighton & Hove. I welcome an increase in reporting as it reflects confidence in police and partners from the more vulnerable in our society. However, for every person that reports a hate crime, I know there are some who do not feel able to. This is why I will continue to support local voluntary and community groups that tackle crime and improve safety.”
More than half a million in funding from the SiSCF has been made available to over 100 community projects to date.
For more information on grant funding from the Police & Crime Commissioner, click here:
For more information about Report It and the LGBT Community Safety Forum, click here:
Or email: info@lgbt-help.com
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