Harassment and Hate Crimes
Tenants have the right to live free from harassment therefore the Association will not accept any form of hate crime and we take reports of it very seriously.
Examples of hate crime
- Physical attacks which can include physical assault, damage to property, offensive graffiti, neighbour disputes and arson.
- Threat of attack, which includes offensive letters, abusive or obscene phone calls, groups hanging around to intimidate and unfounded, malicious complaints.
- Verbal abuse or insults, which could include, offensive leaflets, abusive gestures, dumping rubbish outside homes or through letter boxes and bullying at school or in the workplace.
Common questions and queries about Harassment and Hate Crimes
What action will be taken?
Except in very serious cases, our starting point is to see if we can help sort things out without legal action. For example, we can refer people to mediation or send warning letters. Mediation is where an independent person helps both sides discuss the problem. It is free and often helps sort the problem out.
We will discuss all options and work with affected parties to decide which action is best to take.
We will investigate all cases and take the best course of action we can using the information we have, in consultation with those affected.
What if the problem is of a serious nature?
If a tenant is a victim of crime or serious antisocial behaviour, such as racial harassment we may be able to take legal action straight away.
There are a number of types of legal action we can take, where we have clear evidence to show a court that there is a serious problem.
Each case is different and the action that we can and will take will depend on a number of factors such as our legal responsibilities and our tenants’ wishes.