Government pushing police to record fewer ‘non-crime hate incidents’

Suella Braverman’s drive for ‘common-sense policing’ sees processes set up after Stephen Lawrence murder changed

Home Secretary Suella Braverman intervened in a hate crime investigation linked to the display of golli*** dolls last week (Danny Lawson/PA) (PA Wire)

Ministers are pushing police to deal with fewer “non-crime hate incidents” by changing processes set up after the racist murder of Black teenager Stephen Lawrence.

The Home Office said new statutory guidance for officers across England and Wales was “spearheaded by the home secretary’s common-sense policing campaign”.

“Posting messages that may offend someone but where no victim has actually been identified should no longer be considered a crime,” a spokesperson said.