Crown Prosecution Service South East Community Involvement Panel
Hate crime is any incident perceived to have been committed against any person or property on the grounds of a particular person's sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, religion or disability.
A hate crime can take many forms, including:
- verbal abuse
- physical assault
- intimidation
- damage to property
Surrey police is committed to identifying and prosecuting perpetrators of homophobic crimes.
The CPS regards the homophobic element of any crime as a serious aggravating feature and is determined to play their part in reducing hate crime by bringing offenders to justice.
Reporting incidents provides essential information to the police who can then use the details to help prevent further incidents taking place and to identify those responsible.
You can report Hate Crime in confidence in these ways:
Call 999 in an emergency- By calling Surrey Police on 0845 125 2222
- Through the Surrey Police website
- By calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
- Through the Crimestoppers website
We at Outline believe that you should have nothing to fear from contacting Surrey Police, but if you do not feel that you can contact the police directly for any reason, you can contact Outline and we will act as a third party reporter for you. You can do this by calling our helpline on 01483 727 667, emailing us, or by using our online form. We guarantee your complete anonymity.
Outline and the Crown Prosecution Service South East Community Involvement Panel
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is an independent body that works closely with the police by determining the charge and prosecuting criminal cases investigated by the police in England and Wales.
Outline has a representative on the Community Involvement Panel (CIP). The purpose of the CIP South East is to work with the CPS to raise understanding and improve confidence amongst the diverse communities of interest and the voluntary, community and faith sectors in the South East Region. There are three prosecutor's that attend and listen to the panel.
Chief Crown Prosecutor Roger Coe-Salazar is in charge of the Kent region.
Chief Crown Prosecutor Portia Ragnauth is in charge of the Surrey region.
Chief Crown Prosecutor Sarah Jane Gallagher is in charge of the Sussex region.
These prosecutors are the highest level decision makers and are in a position to make changes as a result of what they hear.
The Panel currently comprises of members with a combined interest in and experience of the following issues:
race/ethnicity- victim and witness care
- rape
- domestic violence
- faith
- mental health
- lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) issues
- hate crime
Outline is a member of the Panel representing the LGBT community. We meet quarterly and input to the CPS operational Business plan, as well as addressing and providing input to the Diversity and Equality agenda with the CPS. By having a representative on the panel we can also:
- Explore innovative ways in which we can raise awareness of the role of the CPS and increase confidence within the LGBT in the South East.
- Offer our expertise, knowledge and experience of LGBT communities in the South East Region in order to advise the organisation on how to reach people within the LGBT community.
- Participate in joint planning and decision making, designed to ensure that the CPS is inclusive in its approach to their business and that LGBT community views are incorporated into their decision making.
- Challenge the CPS methods and thinking regarding engagement with the LGBT community to enable the CPS to develop a more effective and meaningful programme of engagement with the LGBT community.
The CPS is reaching out to communities in the interest by, listening to how their business impacts upon these communities and by, addressing the Diversity & Equality agenda with the intention of including it as an integral part of their everyday business. Outline is a part of that move for change.
If you would like anything raised at the CIP by our representative, you can discuss your matter with us by calling our helpline on 01483 727 667, emailing us, or by using our online form.
