Bradley Stoke man appointed Vice Chair of hate crime advisory group

South Gloucestershire Independent Advisory Group

A Bradley Stoke man has been appointed Vice Chair of a group which advises South Gloucestershire Police on how they can best serve under-represented people.

The Independent Advisory Group (IAG) includes representatives from a range of different sections of the community who can face prejudice because of their disability, age, ethnicity, faith or sexual orientation.

Sachin Singhal (pictured above, centre), who unsuccessfully fought for a seat on Bradley Stoke Town Council in a by-election last year, was himself a victim of a racially-aggravated attack in 2005 when acid was poured over his car as it stood outside his Ormonds Close home.

More recent crimes with a race hate element in Bradley Stoke have included a man being pushed off his bike near Tesco in August 2008 and a 14-year boy being attacked by a gang using a python as a weapon in August 2009.

IAG Chair Amarjit Singh (pictured right) said:

“The South Gloucestershire IAG is looking for new members from minority community groups to make sure we are representative of the communities we serve. Joining the IAG gives people chance to bring a real benefit to their community as well as the police.”

The IAG aims to:

  • Bring community concerns to police attention and give feedback to the community
  • Ensure issues are addressed appropriately
  • Advise on the police response to incidents
  • Scrutinise police decisions
  • Improve the quality of the police service delivered to people across South Gloucestershire.

Anyone interested in joining the group can contact South Gloucestershire police on 0845 456 7000.

A recent meeting of the IAG heard District Commander Chief Superintendent Andy Francis report a fall in hate crime:

“Very few of the incidents have been of a serious nature and very few have been assaults, so we are saying South Gloucestershire is a very safe place to be. While any fall in crime is welcomed, we want to be sure that people are confident about reporting any incident they believe may be motivated by hate.”

CS Francis said hate crime can be reported to police at local police stations, by calling 0845 456 7000 or through the police website, www.avonandsomerset.police.uk.

He added that people do not have to report such incidents directly to the police, but through other agencies displaying the Partnership Against Hate Crime logo. You can find full details of reporting centres and their opening times at www.safersouthglos.org.uk/HateCrime – the closest to Bradley Stoke being the offices of Patchway Town Council.

If a crime is happening or someone is at risk of getting hurt there and then always call 999.

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