Scrap non-crime hate incidents, police leaders to recommend

"NCHIs are alleged acts motivated by hostility or prejudice towards people with certain characteristics, such as race or gender, but which do not meet the bar for a criminal offence. Current Home Office guidance says they are recorded to collect data on "hate incidents that could escalate into more serious harm", but critics say they divert police resources and restrict freedom of speech."

"Though they are not crimes, NCHIs stay on police records and can come up in background checks. Police guidance on the recording of NCHIs was first published in 2005, following recommendations by an inquiry into the murder of Stephen Lawrence - the London teenager who was stabbed to death in a racist attack in 1993. But Lord Herbert said "an explosion of social media" in the years since they were introduced has meant police had been drawn into monitoring "mere disputes" online."

A review will recommend scrapping non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs) and refocusing police recording on the most serious incidents to rebalance policing for the social media age. NCHIs are alleged acts motivated by hostility or prejudice towards protected characteristics that fall short of criminal offences. Current guidance records NCHIs to collect data on incidents that could escalate, but critics argue NCHIs divert police resources and restrict freedom of speech. NCHIs remain on police records and can appear in background checks. Recording guidance was first published in 2005 after recommendations following the murder of Stephen Lawrence.

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