Community groups invited to second hate crime summit

The original event, organised by MP Sarah Champion in November, was told that supermarkets and public transport had become hotbeds of racism.

A follow-up meeting this Sunday will inform the community about the work done since the concerns were raised.

Chief Supt Jason Harwin (pictured) said: “Ultimately, we want all communities to be able to live, work or visit Rotherham without the fear of being subjected to hate crime.

“We take incidents of hate crime extremely seriously and want to work with the community and partner organisations to stamp it out.”

South Yorkshire police commissioner Dr Alan Billings said: “We have organised this event to enable us to listen to communities and better understand their experiences.

“We want to use their knowledge and experiences to increase awareness of what hate crime is and to develop a way of tackling the issue together.”

Points raised at the first summit included a lack of knowledge on how to report hate crime, fear of reprisals and a lack of understanding by the police.

There was concern that many incidents were carried out in front of children and in public places.

The event takes place at New York Stadium between 2pm and 5pm. Ms Champion will be among the speakers.

Community groups and organisations are invited to attend and contribute. Email [email protected].