Since Paris, the number of attacks on Muslims in London has more than tripled
A huge increase in Islamophobic hate crimes in London highlights the need for strong local policing, Labour London Assembly Equalities spokesperson Jennette Arnold has said.
Figures released by the Met today show that since the attacks in Paris on 13 November, the number of Muslims attacked each week in London has more than tripled. In the week prior to the attacks, the Met recorded 24 Islamophobic incidents. Two weeks after they recorded 76.
The figures also show that the annual number of incidents has increased, with the majority of reports relating to harassment. There were 576 incidents reported in the 12 months up to October 2014; the following year this had increased by 47.6 per cent to 845. Mussurut Zia from the Muslim Women’s Network UK said the community was ‘fearful’.
Jennette Arnold said today:
“The events in Paris shook many people to the core, people of all faiths. These cowardly acts of hatred have no place in London which prides itself on being a city where all are welcome, whatever faith, or personal creed.
“The mayor has argued that recent increases in hate crime can simply be attributed to increased confidence to report. We know there is more to it than that, and you’ll never tackle hate crime if you solely attribute any rise to increased reporting.
“During these uncertain times, the role of local policing in strengthening community bonds is more important than ever. With cuts to the Met budget still approaching, Boris Johnson needs to fight tooth and nail to retain neighbourhood policing so that we can meet the rising challenge of hate crime in London.”
Since 2010, 1,414 police officers, 2,718 PCSOs and 63 police stations have been axed in London. Neighbourhood policing is in many areas being replaced with a cheaper area-based approach, with teams of six cut down to only two officers in each ward.
The impact this has on the safety of Londoners is clear. Over the last 12 months violent offences including stabbings, have spiked 24 per cent; an additional 40,748 violent offences.
Responding to today’s figures, the Met said it is providing extra patrols and has more than 900 officers investigating hate crime.
Ruby Stockham is a staff writer at Left Foot Forward
25 Responses to “Rise in Islamophobic hate crimes highlights the importance of local policing”
damon
You don’t mean getting known because you write for or edit this blog do you?
I heard James Bloodworth on the radio a few times and he was introduced as the editor of Left Foot Forward. Now he’s moved on I believe.
It’s a bit like Wes Streeting, the new Labour MP for Ilford North.
He made his name as the head of the NUS. I heard him speaking at a meeting as that just a couple of years ago.
JAMES MCGIBBON
Ruby, have you any idea where this term islamaphobia came from. No such phobia has been proven to exist.
Do the Islamists that chop the heads of the Kaffir have a phobia?
Sparky
Ruby Stockham. Just eight years ago she was a schoolgirl in Bristol. Now she knows how to solve all the problems of the country. Terrorism, unemployment, the NHS, low pay, housing -you name it, she’ll write an article on what needs to be done. Laughable.
tamimisledus
And exactly what has RS achieved since she left school which has directly contributed to the well-being of her fellow (if that can be said) citizens?
tamimisledus
These are not crimes, they are reports of crimes, provided by muslims who have a vested interest in slandering non-muslims. muslims whose religion teaches that anything is permitted if it furthers the cause of islam. and so care little for the truth.
The biggest crime here is that the police are reporting as crimes something which has not been tested in a court of law.
Let’s see how many of the reports stand up to full rigours of the English legal system.