Taking a stance against hate
29-JUL-10
Issued by: Graeme Cook
North Tyneside Council is launching a new system for recording and managing hate incidents.
On Friday 30 July, the local authority will start using ARCH - an internet-based program supporting the reporting of racist and homophobic incidents.
ARCH, which stands for Agencies against Race Crime and Harassment, will allow people to easily report such cases to designated reporting centres or on the freephone number.
The information can then be electronically referred to one or more agencies of the victim's choice, such as Integrated Youth Services, Victim Support or the Police.
Cllr Glynis Barrie, cabinet member for Community Services, said: "There is no place in society for racism and homophobia. Such incidents can ruin lives as victims can be made to feel unsafe or unwelcome.
"Diversity is something which should be respected and celebrated, and we are confident the new system will allow us to better monitor incidents if they occur, as well as the nature of them.
"This should improve our ability to take action in preventing such cases from happening again."
Members of the public do not have to be a victim to report an incident, and cases can be reported anonymously.
This can be done 24-hours a day, seven days a week, by dialling the freephone number: 08000 32 32 88, or by visiting the 'policing and public safety' section under 'community and living' at: www.northtyneside.gov.uk
Alternatively, people can attend any of the designated reporting centres at:
- Any North Tyneside Customer services centre, located at either Victoria Terrace, Whitley Bay, Unicorn House, North Shields, White Swan Centre, Killingworth and Park Road, Whitley Bay
- Connexions at Russell Street, North Shields and Wooley Street, Wallsend
- Victim Support, 11a Albion House, North Shields
- MESMAC, Nelson Street, Newcastle
- Wallsend People's Centre, Wallsend
- Refugee Integration Service at Wallsend Town Hall
ARCH was developed by Newcastle City Council and is also used in Sunderland, Gateshead and South Tyneside.
In the future, the system will be rolled out to schools and also used for other types of hate incidents.
For more information about ARCH, please contact Wendy E Brown on (0191) 643 7242 or email: arch@northtyneside.gov.uk
ENDS