In recent years, a number of the state’s ethnic communities have complained that police do not take hate crimes seriously, but Victoria Police has hit back, with the force’s interim leadership team launching a three-year strategy to address the issue.

Recognising the increasing diversity of the Victorian community and the lack of an organised approach to hate crimes in the past, acting Assistant Commissioner Tracy Linford this month announced the establishment of the Prejudice Motivated Crime Strategy.

The strategy was launched in  the presence of acting Chief Police Commissioner Ken Lay and Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission head Dr Helen Szoke.

To be supported by a range of initiatives, the police program will aim to reduce hate crime and educate the community to report hate crimes to police.

“Our systems and our processes have let us down so we haven’t been able to capture the extent of it,” Commissioner Lay said.
Speaking at the launch of the strategy, Commissioner Lay added: “We should not and will not tolerate this type of behaviour and need to take action to make sure it does not occur.”

The announcement of the new strategy comes just two months after former chief commissioner Simon Overland oversaw the axing of the proactive Multicultural Advisory Unit.

(Source: Jewish News)