REPORTED hate crime has risen in Solihull by over a third in three years with racial abuse making up the vast majority of offences.
There were 222 reported incidents of hate crime in 2017/18 compared with 163 in 2014/15, according to West Midlands Police figures.
Racial abuse accounted for around 80 per cent of the incidents in Solihull while homophobic abuse made up around 10 per cent in each of the last three years.
There were 181 racially motivated crimes in Solihull last year compared with 125 in 2014/15 – a rise of nearly 45 per cent.
In the West Midlands, total recorded hate crime incidents nearly doubled in the same period.
Of reported religious hate crimes in the West Midlands, around half were against Muslims (48 per cent in 2017/18).
Crimes against Christian, Jewish and Sikh religions each made up around five per cent of the remaining incidents in the region.
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said: “We are all extremely proud that the West Midlands is a diverse region, where people from different backgrounds and cultures get on. That will not be allowed to change.
“Hate crime is not acceptable and tackling the crime is a priority of mine and West Midlands Police have a zero-tolerance policy on it. If it is reported it will be investigated.
“If you are a victim of, or see any evidence of hate crime please report it. It is only by reporting the crime that we can tackle it.
“Third party reporting centres are a key part of the strategy to tackle hate crime.
“They allow people to report crimes in non-police surroundings, encouraging more people to come forward.
“The rise is down to two principal factors. Firstly increased reporting and awareness of the crime.”
