The head of the police watchdog has called for non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs) to be scrapped.
Sir Andy Cooke, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, criticised NCHIs for being unfit for purpose and causing unnecessary public concern.
More than 130,000 NCHIs have been logged across England and Wales since their introduction. While they are not recorded on a person’s criminal record, they can appear on enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks
Free speech
Sir Andy stated: “Police still need to get the basics right and focus on the issues that matter to the public.
“I think we need to separate the offensive from the criminal. We need at times to allow people to speak openly without the fear that their opinions will put them on the wrong side of the law.”
He continued: “I’m a firm believer that non-crime hate incidents are no longer required, and that intelligence can be gathered in a different way, which would cause less concern to the public and would make recording of such issues much easier for policing.”
Culture wars
Last week, the Health Secretary suggested a change in the law may be needed to ensure that officers prioritise serious crime over policing ‘hot button’ debates.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting made the remarks after police arrested comedian Graham Linehan “on suspicion of inciting violence” on social media against men who identify as women.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley admitted that his officers should not be “policing toxic culture wars debates”.
The Times editorial observed: “being objectionable in the eyes of some is no excuse whatsoever for the deployment of state power against an individual in what is still claimed to be a free society”.
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